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Lancashire set for new nuclear plant
Lancashire's Heysham power plant has been picked as one of 10 sites where a new nuclear reactor could be built.
The site was named by the Government as part of a fast-track plan to create the next generation of plants to power the country from 2018.
It is expected Heysham now seems certain to be sold by owners EDF Energy which is being forced to sell either the Lancashire plant or its reactor in Dungeness, Kent under competition rules.
Dungeness was left off the list unveiled on Monday due to fears over coastal erosion and future flooding, ruling it out for being sold off.
An EDF spokesman said that it was "still going through the sale process" for both sites, however, it seems certain Heysham will be sold.
Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband said: "The threat of climate change means we need to make a transition from a system that relies heavily on high-carbon fossil fuels to a radically different system that includes nuclear, renewable and clean-coal power.
"Change is also needed for energy security.
"In a world where our North Sea reserves are declining, a more diverse, low-carbon energy mix is a more secure energy mix, less vulnerable to fluctuations in the availability of any one fuel."
Mr Miliband said the current planning system was a "barrier" to this shift in emphasis, maintaining that it served neither the interests of energy security nor of people living in areas where new stations might be built.
"That is why we are undertaking fundamental reform of the planning system, which will result in a more efficient, transparent and accessible process."
The other nine potential sites named yesterday by Mr Miliband were Bradwell in Essex, Braystones, Kirksanton and Sellafield in Cumbria, Hartlepool in Cleveland, Hinkley Point in Somerset, Oldbury in Gloucestershire, Sizewell in Suffolk and Wylfa in North Wales.
The programme will have major benefits for the nuclear fuel factory Springfields Fuels Ltd at Salwick, near Preston, which is expected to make the fuel for the next generation of reactors.
For more on the announcement, don't miss your free, eight-page lepbusinessweek supplement in Tuesday's Evening Post.
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
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Wind direction: South east
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