Reports emerging from the UK suggest that French electricity heavyweight EDF is interested in constructing a new generation of nuclear reactors in the UK.
The Independent newspaper has reported that EDF’s chief executive, Pierre Gadonneix, told a conference in London that the firm would be interested in any project to finance, build and run new nuclear plants. However Mr Gadonneix admitted that before any new build program could begin, the government would need to win over a skeptical public about the necessity of further reactors.
We are keen to cooperate in making government and public acceptance as wide as possible, the newspaper reported Mr Gadonneix as saying. EDF is the world’s largest nuclear derived power generator, accounting for 17% of worldwide capacity. It also operates the most modern fleet of any nuclear power producer.
The French government is about to part-privatize EDF by floating 15% of the business on the stock market – a move set to generate in the region of E7 billion.