i-Nuclear update: Will Brits accept a Chinese or Russian-backed plant?

Will Brits accept a Chinese or Russian-backed plant? Few clues from EDF experience

 

by I-Nuclear

 

Since Eon and RWE withdrew from plans to develop new nuclear power in the UK and put their Horizon joint venture up for sale there has been speculation over who might be potential investors in the project. Top of the list? British newspapers have been naming Russia and China as the potential likely investors. Whether that would get the support of the British public was one of the questions raised today during a hearing by a Select Committee of MPs.
They heard from Professor Nick Pidgeon of Cardiff University that it was a material concern for the public – but not just for nuclear. Research into public attitudes revealed that it was a “interesting question across the whole debate about infrastructure”, he said. Concerns about Russian or Chinese influence in the nuclear sector reflected similar concerns around Russian gas - for example, news stories about Russian threats to withhold gas supplies from Europe during recent winters.
However, the select committee, which conducts its own inquiries into activities around the energy and climate change brief, also took evidence from representatives of engineering institutions that suggested intense local involvement could counterbalance the fears over foreign ownership.