Lord Hunt Leads Call For Nuclear Britain

Nov. 20, 2009 - PRLog -- Lord Hunt, the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, has led the call for the UK to embrace nuclear power as the revival that can put an end to our climate change and power shortage concerns.

In his article for the Guardian newspaper, he fully endorsed the controversial energy supply as the proper course of action, considering the pressing need to reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, and transferring our source of power towards renewable resources and away from depleting oil and gas.

“A nuclear renaissance in the UK presents a tremendous opportunity. It has the potential to supply us with substantial amounts of home-grown, low-carbon, reliable and relatively cheap energy,” he said. “Climate change and the need to replace ageing power stations mean this is the right thing to do. It is in our long-term national interest.”

The Minister has released his statement in the wake of the government’s New Build scheme which will see several new nuclear power plants built in the near future. At present, the UK generates 11 GW of power from its ten nuclear sites, some of which are reaching the end of their lifetime.

French energy supplier EdF is currently seeking investors, having secured the contracts for four of the new plants to be added to the grid by 2018. Last week, the government released its list of 10 recommended locations throughout the country which are deems suitable for the development.

Lord Hunt has not ignored the anxieties about the project felt by members of the public. He intends for any development to be conducted in partnership with local communities, who will be encouraged to voice their views. He also spoke of the serious action that his administration took in addressing the nation’s nuclear history, but insisted that the surprising speed at which old sites have been decommissioned and the aptitude that the workers have demonstrated indicates a strong mentality for minimizing any risks.

“We have the skills, ingenuity and experience needed, coupled with a strong safety record. Ours is a world-class, rigorous, and transparent regulatory system, ensuring we maintain the highest standards of safety.”

He added that each new station would provide an estimated 9,000 jobs during construction, 1,000 jobs in operation and a wealth of others along the supply chain. The approximate economic benefit for each is evaluated at £2.8bn.

The Nuclear New Build and Supply Chain Summit will take place between December 7-9 at Dexter House in Tower Hill, London. The event offers timely and accurate advice on all aspects of this new programme, including financing new build projects, designing and drafting supply chain contracts, and understanding related policies and obligations.

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For full details of the conference, visit: www.nuclearsupplychain.co.uk.
Email: enquire@iqpc.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7368 9300
Fax : +44 (0)20 7368 9301

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