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GDF Suez's nuclear reservations hit government energy policy

Monday, April 16, 2012

The government's energy policy has suffered a fresh blow when GDF Suez, the French firm behind plans to build a new nuclear plant in Cumbria, said it needed more financial incentives if it was to proceed.

Gérard Mestrallet, chairman and chief executive of GDF, said he wanted talks with the government about a fixed or minimum price for producing nuclear energy: "We are, with our partners, going to take a decision in 2015 [on building a new plant at Sellafield]. Today it is very difficult to invest in a nuclear power plant without clear visibility."

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France, Britain deny seeking subsidies for nuclear industry

Monday, April 16, 2012

(BRUSSELS) - France, Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic rejected a report Friday that they want nuclear energy to receive subsidies similar to the ones enjoyed by renewable energies.

The German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported earlier that those four countries sent letters outlining their request to Brussels ahead of a meeting by European Union energy ministers next week.

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E.ON, RWE drop UK nuclear plans - sources

Thursday, March 29, 2012

(Reuters) - German utilities E.ON and RWE have shelved their plans to build new nuclear plants in Britain, sources told Reuters on Thursday.

"The companies want to withdraw from that," said a source close to the companies and informed about the developments. Both companies and their joint venture Horizon declined to comment.

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UK nuclear plans 'put energy in French hands'

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Government plans for nuclear power risk handing control of the UK's climate and energy policies to France, according to four senior environmentalists.

Energy giant EDF and reactor builder Areva, big players in the UK's plans, are largely French government-owned.

Jonathan Porritt, Tom Burke, Charles Secrett and Tony Juniper say the firms are landing UK citizens with all the financial risks of nuclear new build.

They have told Prime Minister David Cameron he is being badly advised.

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Sixteen states talk nuclear power

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The representatives of the 16 EU countries that have opted for nuclear energy have identified the four 'pillars' on which the EU's energy policy must be built: safety of sourcing, consumer purchasing power, industrial competitiveness and the fight against global warming.

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UK 'subsidising nuclear power unlawfully'

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Green energy campaigners are attempting to block new nuclear power stations in the UK by complaining to the European Commission that government plans contravene EU competition regulations.

They say financial rules for nuclear operators include subsidies that have not been approved by the commission.

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RWE weighs up sale for UK co-owned Urenco

Sunday, October 16, 2011

German energy giant RWE has appointed advisers for a strategic review of Urenco the nuclear power company it co-owns with the British and Dutch government.

The move could press the UK Government to formalise its own strategy on disposal of the company, which is expected to net UK taxpayers 1bn.

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RWE reviews involvement in UK nuclear programme

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The government's energy policy took another blow on Friday as major energy provider RWE reviewed whether to scale down or abandon its UK nuclear programme.

The German-owned utility, which owns the npower supply business, has started an internal probe of its plans to construct two possible atomic power stations at Wylfa in Wales and Oldbury in Gloucestershire.

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Sellafield Mox nuclear fuel plant to close

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Mox nuclear fuel plant at Sellafield was closed on Wednesday, with the loss of around 600 jobs.

The closure is a consequence of the Fukushima incident in Japan in March, which has closed down much of the nuclear industry there and led to a rethink of nuclear power around the world. But the government said the move had "no implications" for the UK's plans for new nuclear reactors.

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Revealed: British government's plan to play down Fukushima

Friday, July 1, 2011

British government officials approached nuclear companies to draw up a co-ordinated public relations strategy to play down the Fukushima nuclear accident just two days after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and before the extent of the radiation leak was known.

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