UK Nuclear Reactor Program said to be Falling Behind

It now seems that regulators and builders are blaming each other for construction hold ups as designs await approval for UK nuclear reactors. The schedule for the UK’s nuclear reactor building program has slipped behind schedule already. The safety regulator has already admitted that the program is behind schedule and this has reinforced concerns that the first reactor will not be built for quite some time.

The Health and Safety Executive said that it would more than likely have to issue an interim decision on the safety of the two new proposed reactor designs next June. The regulator expects significant amounts of extra work will remain before it can finally approve or reject the design. However, it was not noted just how long it will take them.

The director of the assessment program, Kevin Allars, said that companies could continue planning and carrying out preparatory construction on proposed nuclear sites while they are still waiting for a final decision. However, he did insist that the construction of a reactor could not start without its consent.

Allars went on to promise that there would be no repeat of the chaotic construction in Finland. This was originally suppose to be Europe’s first new reactor in decades. The Areva plant is more than three years behind schedule and more than £1.6 billion over budget. Right now the EDF has promised that the UK’s first reactor will be operational by 2018, although it had originally said it would be running by the end of 2017.

The Health and Safety Executive said that companies behind the design have been repeatedly submitting information, which was incomplete and late. However, the companies are blaming the regulator for not having sufficient resources to carry out the work.