UK confirms site for Cumbria nuclear power plant

The site in west Cumbria where Europe’s largest new nuclear station is to be built has been confirmed. NuGen – a joint venture between Japan’s Toshiba and France’s Engie, formerly GDF […]

The site in west Cumbria where Europe’s largest new nuclear station is to be built has been confirmed.

NuGen – a joint venture between Japan’s Toshiba and France’s Engie, formerly GDF Suez – has signed a land contract with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for the Moorside site.

An undisclosed sum was paid to the NDA for the contract which was approved at a meeting in Tokyo today.

The new nuclear power plant, which will include three reactors, is expected to deliver 7% of the UK’s future electricity needs.

UK Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom welcomed the news.

She said: “Backing the next generation of nuclear projects is a key part of our long-term plan to power the economy with clean, secure energy and keep bills as low as possible for hardworking families and businesses.

“We want the recovery to benefit all parts of our country and Moorside will be a major infrastructure project that creates jobs and economic security for thousands of people and helps to deliver the Northern Powerhouse.”

The first reactor is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of 2024, with all three providing 3.4GW of power by the end of 2026.

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