Rosatom Praises UK ‘State-Aid’ Model For New Build Incentives

Posted by NucNet on 16 May 2014 in NucNet

A senior executive at Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has praised the UK’s model of support to encourage the development of new nuclear reactors.

Nikolay Drozdov, director of Rosatom’s international business department, told the European Nuclear Conference in Marseille, France, that UK support in the form of contracts for difference (CfDs) could lead to a trend of new nuclear development in central Europe if the model is successful in the UK.

Mr Drozdov said one of the advantages of the model is that it protects investors from potential changes in governmental policies and in public perception of nuclear energy.

In December 2013 the European Commission announced it was opening an investigation into possible state aid included in financial proposals for construction of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in England.

One of the main aspects of the proposals the EC will investigate is a planned guarantee from the UK government to French utility EDF on the price of electricity to be produced by the two planned EPR units.