EDF Energy today initiated a sales process relating to the divestment of land potentially suitable for new nuclear build. EDF plans to sell one of two sites — Dungeness in Kent or Heysham in Lancashire — both of which were acquired through EDF’s integration with British Energy in January.

The sale will allow EDF to deliver on a commitment it made to the European Commission as part of the acquisition of British Energy. This is also in line with the policy of the UK Government to have more than one developer of new nuclear power plants in the UK.

In the first stage of the sale process, EDF Energy has today invited credible nuclear operators to come forward with expressions of interest in the sites. The sale process was advertised in the Financial Times.

“We believe these sites have good potential for new build and will be attractive to potential developers of nuclear power plants,” said Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director for EDF’s Nuclear New Build. “This is an important step towards Government’s objective of competition in new nuclear build in the UK. It goes hand in hand with our own plans to build and operate four EPRs (European pressurised reactors) in the UK with the first operational by the end of 2017 as we seek to help address the country’s long-term energy issues.”

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