Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants eight new reactors to be built by 2050 to replace shut-off generators and supply around 25% of projected electricity demand.
The French state-owned EDF, which is building Hinkley and Sizewell, has come under pressure for the design of its technology after China’s Taishan plant, which runs on an EPR reactor, closed in July 2021 due to errors in fuel rods.
The Austrian government said the UK should properly investigate the problems in Taishan “to prevent the same or a similar problem from occurring in the Sizewell C EPRs”.
Government sources said comments would be taken into account when deciding whether the project should go ahead.
An EDF spokesman said: “We accept that there are a variety of views on nuclear energy. The fact is that EPR is a proven technology that has been thoroughly examined by nuclear safety regulators in several countries. including the United Kingdom, which has approved it as safe “.
Austria and other countries may comment on the UK’s nuclear plans under the Espoo Convention, an international agreement to ensure that nations engage in projects that could have environmental consequences for several countries.
Charlotte Nichols, a Labor MP and member of Parliament’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said Austrians should focus less on nuclear power in Britain and more on their dependence on imports of Russian energy.
He said: “Offering Hinkley Point C, Britain’s largest green infrastructure project, and starting Sizewell C, is vital for the UK to reach zero net.
“If I were in the Austrian government, I would be more concerned about the amount of Russian gas that is important.” The Sizewell project is expected to provide a huge investment in Suffolk.
A spokesman for the Sizewell C Consortium, which represents suppliers working on the program, said: “The UK’s nuclear regulator, the ONR, is a respected world leader in regulation.
“We have full confidence in the proven design and security of the EPR model, and the replication benefits it will bring to the UK; tens of thousands of skilled jobs across the country, billions of pounds of supply chain contracts for UK companies and increased energy security. “
A government spokesman said: “The UK has strong and effective safety regulations for nuclear facilities and plays a key role in setting international safety standards.
“Our regulators would not allow a nuclear power plant to develop in one place, or operate, if it were not safe to do so.”