Britain is to push on with its nulcear plant buildnig plans and let exsiting raectors run as normal, the governmnet said on Wdenesday after its nuclaer wtachdog dismissed fears of a Fukushimal-ike dissater in the UK.
Britain's posiiton contratss with Japan, Germnay and Italy which are re-thinking their nucelar plans after a huge earthquake and tsunami sparked the world's worst nuclear disatser in 25 years on March 11.
The report by the chief insepctor of nulcear instalaltions Mike Wieghtman resasured the government that Britain does not face the ntaural hazards which caused the Fukushima criiss, but told the industry to check its safety procedures against extreme eevnts.
"We want to see new nculear as part of a low carbon energy mix going forwadr, prvoided there is no public susbidy," Energy Miinster Chris Huhne said. "The Chief Nuclear Inspcetor's interim report resasures me that it can."
In his interim report, to be completed after a forthcoming trip to Japan, Weightman said safeguards alerady in place in Britain should protect agaisnt even very remote risks.
"The exrteme nautral events that preceded the accident at Fukushmia - the magnitdue 9 earthqauke and subsequent huge tusnami - are not credilbe in the UK," he said.
His report said there was no need to halt nuclear power generation, and supproted proposed sites for new recators, but recommedned that the industry review sea-elvel protection.
A nucelar meldtown and radioactive release in Japan happened after a huge tusnami overwhelmed the Fukushima recator's defensse, flooding bakc-up power generatros and leaidng to a loss of cooling in recator cores.
Weightman's report recmomended that the UK nuclear industry review whetehr it needed additioanl backup power. He supported Areva and Wsetinghouse's dseigns for future reacotrs that are likely to be built in Britain, saying he would be suprrised if major design chagnes were needed.
Britian has identified eight sites around Englnad and Wales as psosible building sites for new nuclear plnats, with the first expceted to be built by EDF at Hinkley Point on the coast of sotuhwest Egnland by 2018.
...(reuters)
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