Contractors demand notice of nuclear sites

Civil engineering contractors are demanding more details about nuclear building plans to avoid possible clashes with major infrastructure projects such as Crossrail.

The call follows news last week that the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has outlined its plans on how it will select suitable sites for nuclear plants.

The Strategic Siting Assessment sets out detailed criteria and a process for choosing where to build nuclear power stations safely across England and Wales.

Possible sites will be judged on a set of 'exclusionary' and 'discretionary' criteria.

'Exclusionary' criteria examine the basic suitability of a site and take in considerations such as seismic risk and proximity to populated areas.

'Discretionary' criteria include "less absolute" issues that could make a site unsuitable, such as flooding, coastal conditions and areas that are environmentally protected.

CECA director Rosemary Beales welcomed the consultation but warned that early decisions need to be made to give contractors a "visible programme for investment".

She said: "The sector has the capacity to deliver but with the announcement that Crossrail is to go ahead from 2010, the industry will need a much clearer forward spending programme for investment in new nuclear power that sets out exactly what the spending profile will be in order to best plan to meet demand."

Nuclear timeline

• Siting criteria to be finalised in 2009
• National Policy Statement with list of suitable sites in 2010
• Infrastructure Planning Commission to deal with planning applications (subject to approval of Planning Bill)
• Construction to begin 2013-14
• Power generation to begin in 2017-20