What Sizewell means for the UK power plant industry

The decision following the Sizewell Inquiry could be to proceed immediately with the PWR, to delay for a few years until the need for a new station is more firmly established or, less likely, to order an AGR. The author argues that the impact of this decision upon UK manufacturing industry can hardly be overstated: delay would make it difficult to maintain design teams and manufacturing facilities; the choice of a PWR would make it unlikely that an AGR could complete for a subsequent order; and the less likely choice of an AGR, a technology that exists only in the UK, would imply a programme of AGRs not too widely spaced in time if the system is to remain a viable option for future replacement needs. (author)