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British Cos. to Develop New Generation of  Nuclear Plants in UK

.c The Associated Press

 
LONDON (AP) - British Energy PLC and British Nuclear Fuels PLC signed an agreement Tuesday to develop a new generation of nuclear reactors.

The companies said the agreement was a ``significant step forward'' in building replacement nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom.

The agreement covers work to assess whether the Westinghouse AP1000 - an advanced pressurized water reactor design - could replace British Energy's existing nuclear power stations when they reach the end of their planned operating lives.

The agreement will run for a year. The companies will assess the technical suitability of AP1000 reactors on existing reactor sites and analyze launch costs.

Westinghouse Electric Co. is a subsidiary of BNFL.

British Energy, created in 1996 by the privatization of state-owned nuclear plants, operates eight nuclear power stations and produces one-fifth of the nation's electricity.

The move was the first concrete commitment from the two companies since the recent publication of a government report that gave cautious backing to new investment in nuclear stations.

Robin Jeffrey, British Energy's chairman, said the government's energy review had helped signal a positive future for the nuclear industry.

``Today's agreement will assess licensing and regulatory issues and deliver robust cost estimates for the new stations we propose,'' he said.

BNFL chief executive Norman Askew said the AP1000 was ``one of the world's most advanced reactor technology systems.''

``This reactor design is ready for deployment now and we are delighted that British Energy want to pursue this option with us further,'' he said.

British Energy said it was also looking at the Canadian-designed CANDU reactor as a potential model and signed a similar agreement with its designers, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., last November.

On the Net:

British Energy, www.british-energy.com

British Nuclear Fuels, www.bnfl.com

Westinghouse Electric Co., www.westinghouse.com


AP-NY-02-26-02 1621EST

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.