Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants eight new reactors to be built by 2050 to replace shut-off generators and provide about 25% of expected electricity demand.
The French state-owned EDF, which is building Hinkley and Sizewell, has come under pressure to design its technology after China’s Taishan plant, which operates an EPR reactor, was shut down in July 2021 due to fuel rod malfunctions.
The Austrian government has said the UK needs to properly investigate the Taishan problems “to avoid the same or a similar problem in EPRs in Sizewell C”.
Government sources said the comments would be taken into account when deciding whether the project should continue.
An EDF spokesman said: “We accept that there are a number of views on nuclear energy. The fact is that EPR is a proven technology that has been thoroughly tested by nuclear safety regulators in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, which has approved it as safe.
Austria and other countries have the right to comment on Britain’s nuclear plans under the Espoo Convention, an international agreement that ensures that nations engage with each other on projects that could have environmental consequences for many countries.
Charlotte Nichols, a Labor MP and member of Parliament’s Committee on Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said Austrians should focus less on nuclear energy in Britain and more on their dependence on Russian energy imports.
She said: “The provision of Hinkley Point C, the UK’s largest green infrastructure project to date, and the launch of Sizewell C is vital to achieving a net zero for the UK.
“If I were in the Austrian government, I would be more concerned about the amount of Russian gas they import.” The Sizewell project is expected to provide huge investments in Suffolk.
A spokesman for the Sizewell C consortium, which represents suppliers working on the program, said: “The UK’s nuclear regulator, ONR, is a respected world leader in regulation.
“We have full confidence in the proven design and safety of the EPR and the benefits of reproduction it will bring to the United Kingdom; tens of thousands of skilled jobs across the country, billions of pounds of supply chain contracts for companies in the UK and increased energy security.
A government spokesman said: “The United Kingdom has stable and effective rules for the safety of nuclear facilities and plays a leading role in setting international safety standards.
“Our regulators would not allow a nuclear power plant to be built on site or to operate if it was not safe.
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