News on the development of nuclear energy in Great Britain

Governmental influence on public utilities and on the government-controlled nuclear industry so far has been much stronger than in the Federal Republic. This influence was cut back considerable when denationalization pursuant to the Electricity Act 1989 took effect, but not for the nuclear industry. Despite governmental declarations to the contrary, the big reactor building program has shrunk to one started reactor being finished. The reasons for turning away from nuclear energy are not so much to be found with the greens, who have little influence because of majority suffrage, but with orientating at short-term maximization of profits as a result of the denationalization process which prevents at present the realization of financing large-scale projects in the field of nuclear energy on a long-term basis. With the Magnox reactors coming to the end of their working life and neither coal-fired power stations nor nuclear power plants being built, with the exception of Sizewell II, this situation will sooner or later lead to an out-of-date power plant pool, and considerations concerning power plant capacities (including nuclear reactors) will become necessary. As regards reprocessing, the abandonment of Wackersdorf has led to the Internal Market being already anticipated by long-term contracts concluded with BNF. (orig./HSCH)