Hinkley Point 'C' power station public inquiry: proof of evidence on system considerations

A public inquiry has been set up to examine the planning application made by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) for the construction of a 1200 MW Pressurized Water Reactor power station at Hinkley Point (Hinkley Point ''C'') in the United Kingdom. This evidence to the Inquiry describes the CEGB system and the concepts of economy, security and quality of supply which underlie it. Attention is drawn to the present geographical imbalance between generation and demand on the CEGB system which leads to high power transfers at times of peak demand and for long periods at off-peak times. When there is a need to install new generating plant in the mid-1990s, system benefits can be achieved by siting plant in the South rather than in the North. The system benefits which would arise from the siting of a new PWR nuclear power station at Hinkley Point ''C'' rather than elsewhere are identified. The system benefits of other PWR sites and non-fossil options, such as a further link with France, interconnection with Iceland and the Severn Tidal Barrage, are reviewed. System benefits in terms of security and economics would accrue from locating a PWR station at Hinkley Point without the need for new transmission lines. (author)