Three major companies GDF SUEZ, IBERDROLA and Scottish & Southern Energy have decided to pull out of the bidding for land being auctioned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to build New Nuclear power plants in the UK.  

The auction will end once a period of 24 hours has elapsed without a bid on any of the three lots, and the feeling in the industry is the bidding war can come to an end very soon.

In the running still, are France’s EDF and a jointly E.ON and RWE consortium.Iberdrola reports in a press release today;

“The consortium made up of GDF SUEZ, Iberdrola and SSE confirms that it is committed to a programme to develop a fleet of new nuclear power stations in the UK. Today, it has decided, in accordance with its technical, economic and financial criteria, not to make any further bids in the auction by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and EDF of three potential nuclear new build sites in the UK.

Meanwhile, the consortium is examining a number of opportunities for other potential sites. In particular, the consortium will be focusing on the sites nominated as part of the UK Government’s Strategic Siting Assessment, which was published for public consultation last week. Some of these sites have to be sold by their current owners in the near future as a result of undertakings given to the UK Government.

The consortium firmly believes that the scope for nuclear development in the UK will involve several leading players, in line with the position set out by the UK Government. In this context, the unique combination of nuclear know-how and knowledge of the UK market should give the consortium the ability to take a leading role in new nuclear developments in the UK.”