Britain’s plans for a new generation of nuclear plants will take a big step forward this week when three consortiums submit bids for Horizon, the energy group with licences to build nuclear reactors in Anglesey and Gloucestershire.
The battle for Horizon, a joint venture between German utilities RWEand EONthat the two put up for sale last March, amounts to a high-stakes contest between three different reactor types, with each consortium claiming its design is the right foundation for Britain’s coming nuclear renaissance.
“This decision is going to have big implications for the UK, in terms of inward investment, the impact on our manufacturing supply chain and competition,” says Richard Clegg, nuclear director at Lloyd’s Register.