14 Feb (NucNet): Toshiba Corporation of Japan “remains committed” to the construction of the Moorside nuclear station in Cumbria, northwest England, despite the company’s recently announced plans to scale down its overseas nuclear power business, a statement by UK-based project owner NuGen said today.
NuGen, a joint venture between Toshiba and France’s Engie, said the Moorside project is “at the core” of the UK’s plans to provide safe, sustainable low-carbon energy for the future.
Tom Samson, NuGen’s chief executive, was quoted in the statement as saying that the UK government is supportive of the Moorside project and “significant progress” has been made since Toshiba became a major stakeholder in 2014.
“The site has already been proven as suitable for three Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, two phases of consultation have found the public overwhelmingly supportive of the need for new nuclear and have helped shape the plans for Moorside”, Mr Samson said.
The first of the three AP1000 reactors at Moorside is targeted to come online in the mid-2020s, according to earlier reports.
NuGen said it will continue to progress plans to develop “Europe’s largest new nuclear power station” station, with a projected generation capacity of 3.8 GW, equivalent to seven percent of the UK’s electrical output.
In January 2017, Toshiba announced it was scaling back ambitions for its nuclear business, blaming the decision on post-Fukushima increases in production costs and the imposition of stricter safety standards in the US.
In December 2016, Toshiba said it may have to write off several billion dollars because of the purchase of CB&I Stone & Webster, a US construction firm that specialises in nuclear power projects, made by Toshiba’s US nuclear subsidiary, Westinghouse Electric Company.
