Abstract

The Government has a clear policy that new nuclear power stations should have a role in meeting the country’s future electricity needs and making the transition to a low carbon economy. EDF Energy, along with Centrica, has set out plans to build four EPR reactors at two sites in the UK – Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. These two new power stations would have a combined capacity of over 6,400 MW, and thus be capable of meeting some 12% of the UK’s electricity demand. This lecture will consider the factors to be considered when selecting sites for new nuclear power stations, and describe the planning, consenting and licensing processes. Progress with the Hinkley Point C project will be described, and an outline given of some of the key features of the pressurised water reactor technology at the heart of the power plant.