Eon Anxious Over Wylfa Land Sale Timetable

by Simon Jones
(North Wales)

Energy Giant E.on has expressed concern over the impact of the EDF takeover of British Energy Group on the timetable for the release of land at Wylfa on Anglesey.

Under EDF's 12.5 billion pound acquisition of British Energy Group, the French power company will takeover the eight British Energy nuclear sites in the UK.

Part of this deal involves EDF having to sell land at Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) owned sites such as Wylfa in order to ensure the UK electricity market remains competitive.

It was not clear whether E.on and other potential bidders for new build will have to wait until EDF receives planning permission at its newly acquired sites before the land at Wylfa can be sold.

An NDA spokesman has confirmed that the sale of land at Wylfa does not depend on EDF first getting permission to build four EPR's at its two favoured sites, likely to be Hinckley Point in Somerset and Sizewell B in Suffolk.

The land at Wylfa will be available for auction after the Acquisition Effective Date which cannot be later than December 31, 2010.

EDF is obliged to allow other potential generators access to sites such as Wylfa, Heysham and Bradwell for the purposes of site investigations.

Anglesey MP Albert Owen who has from the outset led the campaign for a new nuclear power station on the island, is keen for a new generator such as E.on to go for the Wylfa site.

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