EDF (UK's biggest nuclear generator) calls for (government financial) support for nuclear industry

EDF calls for support for nuclear industry

By Ed Crooks

Published: May 25 2009 23:31 | Last updated: May 25 2009 23:31

New nuclear power stations will not be built in Britain unless the government provides financial support for the industry, the head of the country’s biggest nuclear generator has warned.

Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of the UK subsidiary of EDF, told the Financial Times that a “level playing field” had to be created that would allow the nuclear industry to compete with other low-emission electricity sources such as wind power.

His comments call into question the government’s plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations, which ministers have insisted can be delivered without any additional subsidy.

In recent months, the government has promised more generous subsidies for offshore wind power and new support for “clean coal” power stations that can capture and store their carbon dioxide emissions. But it continues to resist the idea of similar assistance for nuclear power.

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