The Chinese-backed developers of a proposed nuclear plant in north Essex have applied to Ofgem for an electricity generation license amid growing political concern about the country’s involvement in the UK’s critical national infrastructure.
Bradwell Power Generation Company Limited, which is a partnership between Chinese state-owned nuclear company CGN and EDF, has given the regulator notice that it has made an application for an electricity generation licence.
The Bradwell B project is designed to deliver a twin-reactor plant next to the existing nuclear power station on the north Essex coast.
The publication of the notice on Ofgem’s website this morning (21 July) follows the raising of concerns in the House of Commons yesterday by opposition MPs about CGN’s involvement at Bradwell and Sizewell during a debate about the government’s decision to suspend the UK’s extradition treaty with Hong Kong.
Lisa Nandy, shadow foreign secretary, asked her counterpart Dominic Raab whether he would extend his commitment that the UK will not accept investment that compromises national security to the proposed project at Bradwell.
Nandy, who was previously shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change when Ed Miliband was Labour leader, also pressed Raab on whether the government has conducted an assessment of the Sizewell C project’s security implications.
She was backed by the Green Party’s sole MP Caroline Lucas.
The Brighton Pavilion MP said: “Giving out investment opportunities in new nuclear to the state-owned CGN is giving out the wrong signal and that, if he wants to be able to demonstrate real seriousness about gross human rights abuses, he could start by reviewing that policy.”
Raab responded that the government keeps the security implications of foreign investment continuously under review.
He said: “We rigorously review not just all investments into this country from a security point of view but whether our powers are sufficient. That is something that we will keep under review, and I know that the Secretary of State for Business is looking at it very carefully.
“We will always protect our vital interests, including sensitive infrastructure, and we will not accept any investment that compromises our domestic or national security.”
But Raab said the UK government is keen to continue working with China, highlighting its role as the world’s “biggest investor” in renewable technology and as an “essential global partner” in tackling global climate change.
The debate took place against a backdrop of growing concerns amongst Conservative MPs over Chinese involvement in the UK nuclear supply chain.
Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, whose Harwich and north Essex constituency is close to the Bradwell B site, called last week for the UK state to take a “golden share” in all foreign-owned critical national infrastructure projects.
The MP, who is also chair of Parliament’s liaison committee, wrote in a blog for the Conservative Home website that this arrangement would give the government the power to prevent takeovers and to appoint board members of such projects.
The measure, which could be introduced as part of the government’s new National Security and Investment law, would provide senior executives in critical national infrastructure companies with “special responsibilities” to speak up if they believe certain events were about to take place, such as the transfer or sale of intellectual property.
Sir Bernard said the current proposed bill is “woefully inadequate” because it is designed to make it harder to prevent only the takeover of critically national infrastructure and so would not cover a project like Bradwell.
Tom Tugendhat MP, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, told the Daily Mail last weekend that the growing concern over Chinese control of critical national infrastructure meant that it was “hard to imagine” the Bradwell plant being approved by Parliament.
Bradwell B hit another hitch earlier this month when Maldon council, the local planning authority, refused an application by its developer to conduct ground investigation works at the plant’s proposed 460ha site.