Bradwell B nuclear power station
Bradwell B is a proposed nuclear power station at Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex, put forward by China General Nuclear Power Group. If constructed, the site will provide 2200 MWe of nuclear power from two UK HPR1000 reactors developed by CGN and the China National Nuclear Corporation.
History
In January 2008, the UK government gave the go ahead to construct new nuclear power stations in the UK, with all sites being located adjacent to existing power stations. The government followed this decision in 2010 by selecting 10 sites, including Bradwell, at which companies could develop nuclear power stations; this was reduced to 8 sites by October 2010.In 2013, CGN entered negotiations with EDF Energy to invest in the UK's nuclear industry. Out of these negotiations, which ended in 2015, agreements were made relating to Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, as well as Bradwell B, which led to EDF Energy taking a majority share in both the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C projects and CGN taking a 66.5% majority share in the Bradwell B project. The agreement also led to CGN bringing its own technology to the Bradwell B project, with the Chinese designed and developed Hualong One reactor expected to be used.
On 19 January 2017, the United Kingdom Office for Nuclear Regulation started its Generic Design Assessment process for the Hualong One reactor, expected to be completed in 2021, in advance of possible deployment at the Bradwell B site.
CGN has planned for the project to have a two-stage consultation programme. The stage 1 consultation started on 4 March and ended on 1 July 2020.
Timeline
| Stage | Status | Date Completed | Notes |
| Statement of community consultation | Completed | March 2020 | |
| Stage 1 consultation | Completed | 1 July 2020 | |
| Updated statement of community consultation | In Progress | - | |
| Stage 2 consultation | Not Yet Started | - | |
| Review of Stage 2 responses | Not Yet Started | - | |
| Application submission | Not Yet Started | - | |
| Decision | Not Yet Started | - | |
| Construction | Not Yet Started | - | |
| Operation | Not Yet Started | - |
Funding
Funding for the Bradwell B project would be provided by CGN and EDF Energy, who will have during the development phase of the project 66.5% and 33.5% stakes in the project.As of 21 July 2020, the consortium is looking towards the government for financial backing with the Regulated Asset Base model, which the consortium will discuss at the appropriate time.
Construction
Construction of the project is expected to take between 9 and 12 years, with it taking 9 years to build and commission the reactors, and 3 additional years for site restoration. The construction phase is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs, with an additional 3000 local jobs at the peak of construction. The project, once operational, is expected to create 900 jobs, which will increase by 1000 during outages, which are expected to occur around every 18 months during operation.Construction would take place in five main stages:
• Stage 1 - Site preparation : involving excavation and major earthworks as well as construction of temporary roads, bulk material delivery facilities, canteens, medical facilities and parking.
• Stage 2 - Civil construction : including major building construction and installation of the reactor dome.
• Stage 3 - Installation : installing the main components of the power station and creating the systems needed for commissioning.
• Stage 4 - Commissioning : including testing, fuel loading, and synchronisation to the grid before handover to operations.
• Stage 5 - Site restoration : completing landscaping works and restoring parts of the site around the facility that are not needed during operation. Removal of temporary construction facilities will also occur during this period.
Design
The Bradwell B project uses two HPR1000 UK reactors which are developed by CGN and CNNC. The reactor is designed with a power output of 1170 MWe gross, 1090 MWe net, with a 60-year design life, and would use a combination of passive and active safety systems with a double containment.The reference plant for Bradwell B is units 3 and 4 of Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant currently under construction in Guangxi, China.
Criticism
In 2016, the US Justice Department charged CGN with stealing nuclear secrets from the United States. The Guardian reported: "According to the US Department of Justice, the FBI has discovered evidence that China General Nuclear Power has been engaged in a conspiracy to steal US nuclear secrets stretching back almost two decades. Both CGN and one of the corporation's senior advisers, Szuhsiung Ho, have been charged with conspiring to help the Chinese government develop nuclear material in a manner that is in clear breach of US law." As a result of this, the USA has expressed concern over CGN taking a stake in the UK's nuclear industry, and is strongly opposed to the Bradwell B project as CGN will be the main developer in the project, whereas in past projects it has been a funding partner.Concerns were once again raised in 2020, this time by a senior Conservative MP, about CGN having a role in the UK's infrastructure, following the UK government's decision to exclude another Chinese firm, Huawei from the UK's 5G infrastructure over espionage concerns. Following this, nuclear industry executives confirmed that the Bradwell B project is also of major concern, especially within the Conservative government.