The US ambassador to the UK has criticised the choice of Rolls-Royce to be in the vanguard of Britain’s future nuclear power drive.
The UK’s first “small modular reactor” nuclear power station will be built at Wylfa, on Anglesey in North Wales, the government has announced.
It will be designed by Britain’s Rolls-Royce SMR and is expected to generate enough electricity to power three million homes.
Touted as a first of its kind, the project will be built by publicly owned Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) and is backed by £2.5 billion ($3.29 billion) investment from the government.
The government also announced GBE-N will be identifying potential sites for another large-scale nuclear power plant, similar to those being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. It will report back by autumn 2026 and has been requested by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to consider sites across the UK, including in Scotland, officials said.
It comes after the UK and US agreed a nuclear partnership in September, potentially worth around £76 billion.
But the plans at Wylfa prompted an angry response from the US, with ambassador Warren Stephens describing his country as “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
The ambassador had been pushing for a larger reactor and US firm Westinghouse had reportedly presented plans to the UK government to build a new gigawatt station at the site.
Mr Stephens said there were “cheaper, faster and already approved options to provide clean, safe energy at this same location”.
He added: “If you want to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible, and take a big step in addressing energy prices and availability, there is a different path and we look forward to decisions soon on large-scale nuclear projects.
“As I have repeatedly said, we want the UK to be the strongest possible ally to the United States and high energy costs are an impediment to that,” he said.
However, Mr Miliband dismissed the criticism, suggesting Mr Stephens’ unhappiness was not about the size of reactor or how long it would take to build, but because “he wanted an American company”.
Mr Miliband told the BBC: “We have chosen a British company, not an American company, sadly for the US ambassador.”
He said they picked Rolls-Royce for the “prime site for our flagship programme of small mod reactors”, which was going to build a fleet of up to eight reactors, thus bringing costs down.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are mini nuclear power stations that are smaller and designed to be installed on site as prefabricated modules, with hopes the technology will be quicker to assemble than more traditional plants such as Hinkley Point C.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the project would bring up to 3,000 jobs at the height of construction.
It would allow Wylfa, where previous attempts to bring back nuclear power to the site of a former reactor had failed, to become a “beacon” of a nuclear golden age, the department said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Britain was once a world leader in nuclear power, but years of neglect and inertia has meant places like Anglesey have been let down and left behind. Today, that changes.”
Mr Miliband said nuclear power and other clean energy, such as renewables, offered the chance of “energy sovereignty and energy abundance”, which “every sensible nation needs in the 21st century”.
Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “Oil and gas from the North Sea will continue to play a role for decades to come, but now is the time to build up our clean power resources.”
The Energy Department said GBE-N will start activity on the site in 2026, with an initial project for three reactors, but the site could potentially hold up to eight mini power plants.
It is hoped the Wylfa reactors will start supplying power to the grid from the mid-2030s.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 55')
Man of the Match Allan (Everton)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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