Friday, May 9, 2008

Nuclear reactors will cost twice estimate, says E.ON chief

The U.K. is screwed*. The gas is running out, "Rising costs threaten UK wind farm programme", can't burn the coal, now this.
From the Times of London:

The Government has vastly underestimated the cost of building a new generation of nuclear power plants, according to the head of the world's largest power company.

Wulf Bernotat, chairman and chief executive of E.ON, the German energy giant that owns Powergen, has told The Times that the cost per plant could be as high as €6 billion (£4.8 billion) - nearly double the Government's latest £2.8 billion estimate.

His figures indicate that the cost of replacing Britain's ten nuclear power stations could reach £48 billion, excluding the cost of decommissioning ageing reactors or dealing with nuclear waste. “We are talking easily about €5 billion to €6 billion [each],” Dr Bernotat said....MORE

*Which may explain this headline from the Daily Mail last week:

'We're fed up with the cold weather and the NHS,' say asylum seekers trying to break OUT of Britain

Akin to one of our Climateer Quote of the Day runners-up:

First runner-up:

...“There is growing anecdotal evidence that this may be due to Mexican immigrants departing the United States in search of a better life in Mexico”