Mini nuclear power stations in towns around the UK have moved a step closer after it emerged the Government is assessing suitable sites to push ahead with a build. The Telegraph understands that a team of experts working for Ministers is looking at possible locations for small modular reactors, which could be built by 2025. It follows money announced by George Osborne in the Budget earlier this year, giving the green light to develop the so called “mini-nukes”. The stations, which must be built near water for cooling and need to be close to the towns they serve, form a key part of the Government’s plan to cut carbon emissions and generate clean energy in the UK. But campaigners are warning the plans could mean communities have new power stations forced on them if suitable sites are identified nearby. The Sunday Telegraph understands that sites in Wales, including the site of a former reactor at Trawsfynydd, and in the North of England where ex-nuclear or coal-fired power stations were stationed are being looked at as possible options. Other areas including Bradwell, Hartlepool, Heysham, Oldbury, Sizewell, Sellafield and Wylfa are also thought to be possibilities. Small modular reactors are attractive because they can be built in factories and assembled on-site. They take less time to develop than conventional nuclear power stations but they produce much less power – meaning there must be more of them to generate sustainable energy and they must be built close to the communities they serve. Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace, also warned that the small reactors will fail because they will be overtaken by other technology before they can be built. “Rather than focusing on a plan that revolves around wishing nuclear power will work and things that may well not be operating for decades, the government should be focussing on what works right now. That’s homegrown, renewable power that is falling in cost, smart efficient buildings, and creating connectors with Europe so that we can import and export renewable power when we need to.”
Telegraph 2nd April 2016 read more »