NuGen

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Background

NuGen is a UK nuclear company jointly owned by GDF Suez and Iberdrola. Set up in February 2009 originally with a third partner SSE, the joint venture secured an option to buy land for £70million in October 2009 from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for the development of a new nuclear power station at a disused reactor site near Sellafield on the UK's West Cumbrian coast.

In June 2011 NuGen's chosen site was deemed suitable by the UK government in its National Policy Statement. NuGen is now preparing detailed development plans for the 'Moorside' site to go through a consultation process, aiming for a final investment decision to be taken around 2015.

In late September 2012 the Sunday Times reported that Iberdrola, Spanish owner of Scottish Power had decided to pull out of NuGen. Chairman of Britain’s Energy Coast, former Labour energy minister Brian Wilson, said however he had received assurances 'at the highest level' that plans for nuclear new build at Sellafield remain on track.

Paying local council staff to work on development application

NuGen’s Moorside project focuses on the development of a new generation nuclear power station of up to 3.6 GW on land in West Cumbria.

In June 2012 local press reports said the company planned to pay local council staff for work on the development application for this project.

NuGen is set to pay for Copeland Council staff to do work for it to help pave the way for a planned nuclear power station. The aim of the proposed work is to progress an application for development order consent leading to construction but without prejudice to whether or not the Moorside reactors are built near Sellafield. A new National Infrastructure Directorate will decide on all new UK power station applications, including Moorside. But decisions will be made by the government body based on views from the councils, consultations and from prospective developers. Subject to Planning Performance Agreements being signed off around the end of June, NuGen will fund a legally-binding contract for a wide range of work to be done on its behalf by both Copeland and Cumbria County Council staff.

Part of efforts to neuter anti-nuclear protest?

In October 2012 a document released under FOI by the Department of Energy and Climate Change revealed that NuGen was one of three nuclear companies present at a the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) briefing about 'activism and nuclear new build' held Whitehall in June 2011. Also present were government officials from BIS, DECC and the Home Office, as well as the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, a specialist force for guarding nuclear power sites. The other companies were EDF and Horizon.

The document is available to view on Spinwatch's website

Chinese in talks to become a NuGen partner

In September 2013 it emerged that China's state nuclear technology developer was in talks to join the NuGen project.

The Sunday Times, said that it understood that the State Nuclear Power Technology Company (SNPTC) 'will go ahead only if it receives assurances from Whitehall that it will one day be able to build Chinese-designed nuclear stations in Britain'.

The deal was raised in talks last week with Ed Davey, the energy secretary, during his on a 10-day visit to China. SNPTC is building the first version of its new reactor, the CAP 1400, in China. It is understood the company wants a government pledge that it will help guide the new design through Britain’s regulatory approval process. SNPTC is considering joining the Nugen project, which was set up in 2009 by Iberdrola, the owner of Scottish Power, along with France’s GDF, and SSE, the utility. Nugen bought a large parcel of land next to the Sellafield toxic waste dump with plans to build up to six reactors. SSE pulled out two years later. Iberdrola informed GDF last year that it too would no longer proceed. Toshiba’'s Westinghouse has recently entered talks to buy out Iberdrola. SNPTC would likely be a purely financial partner in Nugen.

Westinghouse was also reportedly finalising talks in October to buy a more than 50 per cent stake in NuGen for £64 million.

Affiliations

• Nuclear  Development  Forum - Olivier Carret and Alfio Vidal both attended the 27 October 2011 meeting hosted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Only Vidal attended the 15 May 2012 meeting.

People

• Alfio Vidal -Executive Director
• Olivier Carret - Chief Operating Director at NuGeneration Ltd, previously GrDF Director International Relations at GDF Suez

Contact, Resources and Notes

Contact

Website:http://www.nugeneration.com/

Resources

• Hitachi bets £700m on nuclear Britain, Sunday Times 28th October 2012

• Rob Edwards in cooperation with Spinwatch, Police trying to neuter anti-nuclear protest, 02 October 2012