UK Power Industry Backs Nuclear

Power industry backs future role for nuclear

Power industry backs future role for nuclear
Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:31 PM BST

LONDON (Reuters) - The country's biggest energy suppliers on Monday backed the future use of nuclear power and urged the government to reduce obstacles to the construction of new reactors.

The Association of Electricity Producers, whose members include EDF, E.ON, RWE and Scottish and Southern Energy, said a new fleet of reactors would benefit Britain in terms of supply security and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"The generating industry faces a massive programme of investment in power stations," said AEP chief executive David Porter in a statement.

"They will have to be competitive and meet carbon reduction and other environmental requirements. New nuclear power may well play a part in this."

Most ageing reactors are due to start closing from 2010.

The AEP's comments come as the debate over nuclear power in Britain hots up. The government has left the door open to another generation of reactors as it faces pressure to secure future energy supplies while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Nuclear plants produce hardly any carbon dioxide (CO2), the main gas blamed for global warming. Coal-fired stations, on which the UK still relies for about a third of its power, are among the biggest industrial emitters of CO2.

Last month E.ON said it had told the UK government it was ready to explore the possibility of building new reactors.