Wednesday 27 May 2020

Chinese involvement in UK energy infrastructure undermines energy resilience and long term energy security

Former Prime ministerial advisor, Nick Timothy rightly warns that “we must change our approach to China (“As a ruthless Chinese regime flexes its muscles, the West must stand up,” 25 May 2020; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/24/west-must-stand-china-ruthless-regime-flexes-muscles/)
 

Last week the current Prime Minister asserted to MPs in PMQs that he is pursuing “measures to protect our technological base.”

 

The initiative, “Project Defend,” is aimed at creating a new national resilience framework, which, it has been reported,  will address the current over-reliance on China for “medical and other strategic imports.”

 

One such strategic import is civil nuclear technology, on which UK is 100 per cent reliant on foreign suppliers for the critical core reactor infrastructure, with the Hinkley C nuclear plant under construction by French state generator, Electricite  de France ( EdF) using French technology, supported by French and Chinese capital investment. 

 

The next new nuclear plant in line for construction, at Sizewell C in Suffolk, the planning application for which was announced early morning of 27 May 2020, will have 20 per cent of its costs paid for by Chinese state company China General Nuclear.

 

The third new plant, at Bradwell  in Essex, Is planned to entirely built using 100 per cent Chinese/ French designed technology, mostly imported, and backed by 62 per cent Chinese funding.

 

It would also be operated by a primarily Chinese technical team.

 

Only smaller parts for these new plants will be sourced from the UK supply chain.

 

Four years ago, when Theresa May became Prime Minister, she immediately ordered a strategy’s review of Chinese engagement with the British nuclear  sector, after serious concerns were expressed by Mr Timothy.

 

The green light to Chinese nuclear was given after a secret three month internal review.

 

It is surely appropriate that “Project Defend “now looks again - in light of disquiet  over serious failures  in Chinese technology controls over Covid19 - at the Chinese  Government  involvement  in the key strategic sector of electricity generation, as the U.K. makes major decisions in the energy transition to achieve ‘zero carbon emissions’  by 2050.

1 comment:

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