UK PM to Decide Nuclear Future in 2008

The UK Government is to decide Britian's nuclear future next year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced.

Talking to delegates at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference in London yesterday, the prime minister said a decision on whether Britain should build new nuclear power stations will be made early next year.

"We must - and we will - take the right long-term decisions to invest for the next generation of sustainable and secure energy supplies," Brown told delegates.

In preparation for the decision by the government, UK energy company British Energy announced today that it is laying the foundations for replacement nuclear projects by commissioning "a range of geological, environmental impact, marine, transmission system and other studies for its sites".

Eighteen of Britain's 23 nuclear reactors will reach the end of their lives by 2015.

By Ozge Ibrahim