Second quarter of 2000

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The UK Government publishes BNFL's reprocessing client list

WISE-Paris, 25 April 2000

[Posted 25/04/2000]

In the following parliamentary answer the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Liddell, while refusing to disclose details of commercial contracts with BNFL, indicates the list of countries engaged in reprocessing contracts with the Sellafield operator. Some might be surprised to find Sweden, Canada and Italy in the list. While the Swedish minister of the Environment had recently announced that a contract over a small quantity of research reactor fuel would not be carried out, Italy has phased out nuclear power as early as 1987 (what will they do with the recovered plutonium) and Canada is generally known for its non-reprocessing policy.

The Hansard, 19 April 2000

Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry howmany contracts for (a) Thorp and (b) the Sellafield MOX plant have been signed by British Nuclear Fuels for each plant respectively. [119153]

Mrs. Liddell:
Contracts and contracted terms between British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) and its customers for the supply of goods and services are commercial matters for the parties concerned.

BNFL has contracts with customers in the UK and Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Canada to reprocess spent nuclear fuel at the Thorp plant. As regards contracts for the Sellafield MOX plant, I refer my hon. Friend to the report produced by PA Consulting for the Environment Agency, entitled "Assessment of BNFL's Economic Case for the Sellafield Mox Plant", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

BNFL is continuing to pursue reprocessing and MOX fuel business opportunities.

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