ONR and the Environment Agency have today received a formal request from the Minister of State for Energy to start generic design assessment work on a new nuclear reactor for the UK - the UK Advanced Boiling Water reactor (ABWR) of Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Limited.
Working together, our job is to ensure the protection of people, society and the environment from the hazards of the nuclear industry and, as with any new nuclear technology, we will only consent to its use in the UK if we are satisfied that it meets high standards of safety, security, environmental protection and waste management.
In December, we concluded a generic design assessment for the (EDF and Areva)UKEPR nuclear reactor, a process which secured safety enhancements to the original design. This experience shows that we have an appropriate model in place to carry out such work, but we also recognise that the ABWR design is different and will present its own unique challenges.
ONR and the Environment Agency will now begin preparatory work with DECC and Hitachi-GE about the timescales and resources involved in assessing this new design.
Read more about the generic design assessment process.
Find out more about Hitachi-GE.