UK nuclear energy deal collapses

[TimberWolf]

UK nuclear energy deal collapses. Do you think the French government should help us run our old and build our new nuclear reactors?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7536479.stm

A bit of background:
We have 19 nuclear reactors many of which which will need decommission/replacing over the next decade. EDF, 85% owned by the French government, is interested in buying British energy and its 8 reactors. EDF also want to be 'a major actor in the nuclear rebirth in Britain'. But the deal has had a recent setback, see link. The French arguably lead the world in nuclear reactor use (but probably in old designs) and I believe also have access to a fair amount of nuclear fuel from former colonies. France has 58 nuclear reactors from which it generates most of its electricity (I forget the percentage, but its high) while we generate 19% through nuclear and import about 3% of France's mostly nuclear generated electricity. So they have a fair bit of experience in nuclear and the sale of our old reactors would help fill the chancellors coffers, but is it a good idea to let France do our nuclear for us? We can concentrate on being a nation of shop-keepers.

[ace00]

UK nuclear energy deal collapses. Do you think the French government should help us run our old and build our new nuclear reactors?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7536479.stm

So they have a fair bit of experience in nuclear and the sale of our old reactors would help fill the chancellors coffers, but is it a good idea to let France do our nuclear for us? We can concentrate on being a nation of shop-keepers.

Not much choice since selling our Nuclear industry (Westinghouse? I forget) to Toshiba, calamitous state of science / engineering education & general crapulence of government.

[Fred Bloggs]

Hmm, I was hoping for work out of this as well. Back to the drawing board :-(

[TimberWolf]

Not much choice since selling our Nuclear industry (Westinghouse? I forget) to Toshiba, calamitous state of science / engineering education & general crapulence of government.

Yes, I tend to agree, sad though it is.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Maybe we'd have had a few more options if Maggie hadn't closed all the coal mines and spent the north sea oil cash (including her windfall tax) on dole and QUANGOs. The only reason she never managed to sell off the nuclear industry was that there is no way to make a quick buck out of it so her spiv mates were not interested. Looks like that's still true.

[BrilloPad]

Maybe we'd have had a few more options if Maggie hadn't closed all the coal mines and spent the north sea oil cash (including her windfall tax) on dole and QUANGOs. The only reason she never managed to sell off the nuclear industry was that there is no way to make a quick buck out of it so her spiv mates were not interested. Looks like that's still true.

Oh great! Lets have the country held over a barrel. I remember the 3 day week - thank god maggie gave arfur the kicking he deserved.

The country was in a great financial position until brown/blair came along.

If only Maggie would stand for PM again...

[EternalOptimist]

its mad to hand strategic interests over to foreigners. EDF couldn't even manage to mark the SATs papers properly, would you trust johnny foreigner with our plutonium fissionables ?

[BrilloPad]

its mad to hand strategic interests over to foreigners. EDF couldn't even manage to mark the SATs papers properly, would you trust johnny foreigner with our plutonium fissionables ?

I have seen "Johnny English" - I know what those Frenchies get up to...

[TimberWolf]

its mad to hand strategic interests over to foreigners. EDF couldn't even manage to mark the SATs papers properly, would you trust johnny foreigner with our plutonium fissionables ?

EDF have experience in operating them and I don't trust our profit and share holder driven and mostly incompetent UK companies on nuclear. EDF are mostly government owned and have a lot of experience in not blowing up France. I also don't have faith in our government's competence to assemble home-grown or foreign talent to research and develop new or innovative nuclear solutions. Hobsons choice.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Oh great! Lets have the country held over a barrel. I remember the 3 day week - thank god maggie gave arfur the kicking he deserved.

The country was in a great financial position until brown/blair came along.

If only Maggie would stand for PM again...

The three day week was during Tory rule by the way. You are right about not being held over a barrel and if your darling Mags hadn't done as she did maybe we wouldn't be being held over one by the French and Russians now. Arfur got the kicking he asked for - more fool him, but we didn't have to hand over everything to foreign spivs.