The nuclear industry in Britain - the long-term view

The Government's declared intension of a significant programme of nuclear generation has revitalized the UK nuclear industry after a long period of uncertainty. The first European nation to build a nuclear power station in 1956, at Calder Hall, the UK alone developed gas-cooled graphite moderated reactors in the 1960s and 1970s with mixed success. But, in 1987, the decision to construct Sizewell-B (PWR) and the ratification of that decision with the re-election of a Conservative Government in June 1987 are two factors which have combined to open up a new era in which the UK will be constructing nuclear stations compatible with the world scene. A revitalized British nuclear energy industry, stimulated by the effects of privatisation, could well bring the European nuclear industry out of its post-Chernobyl pessimism. The future of the UK nuclear industry is to be based upon the change to the PWR at a price which is competitive with other methods of generation without sacrificing the most searching safety standards. The consumer has replaced the producer as the ultimate factor determining the survival of nuclear power