Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said that the announcement marked a vital step on the road towards an affordable low-carbon future and demonstrated progress made by the government to deliver on its policies for a low-carbon Britain.
In particular, Mr de Rivaz welcomed the National Policy Statement for nuclear. He said that there was a broad consensus for nuclear between the government and the conservatives which gave the company confidence to move ahead with its plans to develop low carbon, affordable energy on behalf of its customers. EDF Energy now looks forward to contributing to the consultation process to pave the way for the final NPS which will be published in 2010.
EDF Energy has already taken steps in its plans to build four new EPR nuclear reactors with the first operational by the end of 2017, subject to the right investment framework being in place.
Mr de Rivaz added: “The UK needs massive investment in infrastructure to meet its carbon targets and maintain energy security. As Ofgem recently highlighted, up to GBP200 billion needs to be spent on energy infrastructure in the coming years. It is vital that this investment is in low carbon technologies. Nuclear is a vital part of that mix to help provide secure, affordable and clean energy.
“For EDF Energy, it means we can prepare to take the next steps in our plan for a multi-billion pound investment in the UK, which is already creating opportunities for the British supply chain.”
