Engineering news
Tried and tested: Four ABWR power plants have been commercially operated in Japan
The first major permission has been given for the technology to build a new nuclear reactor in the UK.
Horizon Nuclear power welcomed completion of the "regulatory justification" process for its Hitachi-GE UK ABWR (advanced boiling water reactor) as it presses ahead with plans to build new nuclear power stations at Wylfa in Anglesey, North Wales, and Oldbury in Gloucestershire.
The ABWR has an output of 1,330MW. It is a light water reactor design that directly heats water to raise steam and drive turbines.
The completion of the justification process comes after two rounds of public consultation, a ruling from the secretary of state for energy and climate change, and unanimous approval in both houses of parliament. The process concluded that the security of supply, carbon reduction and economic benefits offered by the reactor technology are significant and important and clearly outweigh the potential detriments.
The approval by the government is the first to be put in place, with the final go-ahead expected in 2018.
Alan Raymant, chief operating officer at Horizon, said: "This is a major milestone in our journey to bring forward new secure, low-carbon and affordable electricity for the UK and clearly highlights the strengths of our chosen technology.
"Coming alongside the completion of our first round of public consultation at Wylfa, the positive progress being made on the generic design assessment of the UK advanced boiling water reactor, and our continued rapid growth both at headquarters and on Anglesey, it demonstrates real momentum behind our project and gives us great confidence as we move forward."
Regulatory justification is a legal requirement for any new nuclear technology, designed to ensure that the benefits to society of the technology outweigh any danger from radiation. The application was made by the Nuclear Industry Association in December 2013 with the support of Horizon and Hitachi-GE.
Keith Parker, chief executive of the NIA, said: "This is a positive step in securing the UK's long-term electricity supply and carbon-reduction targets.
"The proposed site at Wylfa will help boost the local economy, providing skilled work and apprenticeships for local young people, boosting the construction sector through new build while also securing the supply of power to the community."
The first of the four ABWRs operational around the world was commissioned in Japan in 1996. Two more are being built there. The reactor is also licensed for use in the US. And two are under construction in Taiwan.
Horizon Nuclear Power was set up in 2009 to build reactors at Wylfa and Oldbury by German utilities RWE and E.On. RWE and E.On pulled out of the project following the backlash against nuclear power in Germany after the Fukushima disaster. Horizon was subsequently taken over by Hitachi and is a wholly owned subsidiary of that company.