U.K. Approves Chinese Nuclear Reactor for CGN’s Bradwell Plant

(Bloomberg) -- British regulators approved a Chinese-designed nuclear reactor that could be used at a plant in southeast England being developed by China General Nuclear Power Corp.

The technology received design approval from the Office of Nuclear Regulation on Monday, following a process that started in 2017. It means the reactor can be built in Britain if the Bradwell B project can get the necessary planning and environmental permits.

The approval comes at a time when the government is seeking to remove CGN from nuclear projects the company is developing in Britain with Electricite de France SA. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration has hardened its stance toward China due to security issues. Members of his Conservative Party have repeatedly expressed concern about China’s increasing involvement in critical aspects of U.K. infrastructure.

CGN holds a stake in Hinkley Point C, due to start generating in 2026, and has a 20% share in the development phase of Sizewell C. China wants to use Bradwell B in Essex to showcase its technical skill in Europe, leading the project with a design and reactor that are different from the other two plants that have EDF as the main partner.

“As the U.K. moves towards net-zero, we must be careful not to embed Chinese Communist Party-owned companies within our critical national infrastructure,” Alicia Kearns, Conservative member of parliament, said in an interview. She “would urge the government to seriously consider blocking CGN from entering this partnership.”

EDF is in talks with the government about financing Sizewell C, which it says is still feasible even without CGN’s funding. The government has agreed to finance at least one large-scale nuclear plant by 2024.

The administration has made atomic power a key part of its net-zero strategy. It has also said that the current energy price crisis has highlighted the need to reduce exposure to expensive, foreign sources of natural gas and rely more on home generated sources of electricity like nuclear. 

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