Hinkley Point plan receives first UK nuclear site licence issued in 25 years
3 December 2012The UK regulator for the civil nuclear industry, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), has granted the first new site licence for a UK nuclear power station in 25 years.
The licence has been granted to NNB Generation Company (NNB GenCo), which wants to build a new nuclear power station in Somerset.
The company is proposing to build two UK European Pressurised Water Reactors (EPR) at Hinkley Point in Somerset and in parallel with its assessment of the site licence application. ONR is working with the Environment Agency to assess the generic design of this reactor.
Subject to the receipt of necessary information from the designers to close a number of issues, ONR and the Environment Agency could make a decision on granting final acceptance before the end of this year.
Mike Weightman, chief nuclear inspector, ONR, said: "To get us to this point, ONR's experienced, expert assessors have been assessing the adequacy of NNB GenCo's organisation, its arrangements for complying with conditions attached to the licence, the suitability of the site and NNB GenCo's ability to prepare a safety report for the proposed installation at Hinkley Point C."
