20 Jan (NucNet): Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Spain�s Iberdrola plan to work together to build nuclear power plants in the UK, the companies have announced.

The joint venture�s initial aim is to secure sites suitable for nuclear power plants, they said in a statement. Both Iberdrola and SSE said they might consider adding partners to the joint venture in the future.

�Iberdrola is committed to the UK market, and welcomes the UK�s plans to develop new nuclear power plants for low-carbon energy supply,� Pedro Azagra, Iberdrola�s director of development, said.

The planned joint venture between Iberdrola and the Scottish utility comes five days after German utilities RWE Npower and E.ON joined forces in a bid to build nuclear power plants in Britain as part of the British government�s plan to replace ageing reactors.

Like the German joint venture announced last week, the Iberdrola-SSE partnership said it would not be tied to particular equipment suppliers and would make use of the best available technology for each element of any new-build programme.

�We accept that one more tranche of nuclear power stations is necessary for the UK�s energy policy goals from around the end of the next decade,� Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE�s energy supply director, said.

�We also recognise that we will have to continue to be able to source power generated from nuclear stations if we are to be able to meet our customers� energy needs in the long term.�

>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)

UK Launches Consultation On Potential New Reactor Designs (News in Brief No. 143, 17 December 2008)

RWE Npower Gets Grid Connection And Land For Possible New UK Plant (News No. 102, 30 December 2008)

German Utilities Launch Joint Venture To Build New UK Nuclear Plants (News in Brief No. 6, 15 January 2009)

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Source: NucNet

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