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What future for a Chinese Bradwell Power Station?


In 2014 The Sunday Times reported that the China General Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear Corporation were preparing preliminary designs for a 3 GW nuclear power station at Bradwell to submit to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

On 21 September 2015, Energy Secretary Amber Rudd announced that "China was expected to lead the construction of a Beijing-designed nuclear station at the (Bradwell) Essex site". EDF's chief executive Jean-Bernard Lévy stated that the reactor design under consideration is the Hualong One. On 21 October 2015, it was reported that Britain and China have reached Strategic Investment Agreements for three nuclear power plants, including one at Bradwell.

On 19 January 2017, the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation started their Generic Design Assessment process for the Hualong One design, expected to be completed in 2021, in advance of possible deployment at Bradwell. The target commercial operation date is about 2030.

The latest stage of the ONR assessment has not identified any fundamental safety or security shortfalls to date that might prevent the issue of a DAC (Design Acceptance Confirmation) for the UK HPR1000 design. We have however identified a number of potential regulatory shortfalls requiring action and new work by the RP (Requesting Party) for them to be resolved, and have raised ROs (Regulatory Observations) to address those; so far we have formally issued 31 ROs. 

There are growing concerns about Chinese government involvement in the UK infrastructure projects. State-owned China General Nuclear Power Group, specified as a designer and operator of the plant, is blacklisted by the United States Department of Commerce for attempting to acquire advanced U.S. nuclear technology and material for diversion to military use.

So never mind Huawai, here we have a Chinese designed  and operated nuclear power station located just 65 miles from Central London? What could possibly go wrong!?

Recent update:

A COUNCIL has rejected an application for ground investigations to take place at the site of a new nuclear power station.

Maldon District Council’s planning committee has rejected the Chinese state-backed nuclear developer CGN’s application for permission to undertake ground investigations at the proposed Bradwell B site.

Campaign group Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group had called for the council to delay permitting the investigations. The group’s chairman Prof Andy Blowers said: “From the moment CGN revealed its plans just before lockdown it became clear the Bradwell B project would be dead in the water.

“The massive scale of the project which would totally overwhelm the Blackwater area and the Dengie peninsula has proved too much to stomach, even for those who were seduced by the promise of thousands of jobs.

“The price, in terms of loss of environment and wellbeing, was simply too high.”


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DISCLAIMER:

As always these thoughts are wholly my own and do not reflect the thoughts and policies of my current employer (whoever that might be). 

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