New-build nuclear programme at risk of delay

The government’s plans to roll out a generation of new nuclear power stations are at risk of delay after a warning from its own inspectors that no decision can be made on reactor designs because of a shortage of skilled engineers.

The Guardian reports on comments made in a letter from Mike Weightman, chief inspector at the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

In the correspondence he voices concerns over delays in receiving documentation from various parties and difficulties in receiving final reactor designs.

“The main concern we have is the continuing lack of an adequate build-up of resources,” he adds. “This is working against timely completion of GDA [generic design assessment] and, while we remain determined to complete the GDA process as close to the original programme as possible, there is a risk of this not being achieved.”