There is now very little chance that new nuclear reactors will be built in Scotland, said environmentalists recently.

The claim by WWF Scotland coincides with the 25th anniversary of the worst nuclear accident in history.

On 26 April 1986 a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe with the final death toll estimated to be in the thousands. The disaster at Fukushima has caused a major rethink about nuclear power around the world and there is now very little chance that new nuclear reactors will be built in Scotland.

Scotland’s political parties are split over new nuclear but even those in favour know there is no real chance nuclear reactors will be built in Scotland. The Greens, LibDems and SNP all rule out new nuclear reactors. The Conservatives and Labour say only that they would consider any application that comes forward. Meanwhile, all the parties support high levels of electricity from renewables, with targets ranging from 80% to 100% by 2020, leaving no room for new


reactors.

There are two nuclear reactors currently being constructed in Europe. The one in Finland is running 4 years late and £2.4bn over budget, the one in France is running 2 years late and nearly £1bn over budget. French state-owned electricity company EDF owns most of the UK’s nuclear sites and is concentrating on English sites for any new reactor proposals.

Earlier this year WWF published a report which showed all of the world’s energy needs could be provided cleanly, renewably and economically by 2050 and a specific report for Scotland shows that we could reach 100% renewable electricity by 2020. Scotland’s natural advantages could bring rich reward in green jobs and exports, as well as meeting climate change targets.

Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said: "Twenty-five years on from Chernobyl, nuclear power’s record of accidents, secrecy and hidden subsidies is again in the spotlight. Scotland's political parties are split, with most against new nuclear and even those that are for only managing the most lukewarm enthusiasm. With the nuclear industry’s history of time and cost over-runs there is no chance the big electricity companies would think the next 5 years is long enough to get a scheme approved, even if a pro-nuclear government is elected.

"Scotland’s nuclear dream is over. Even the enthusiasts secretly know that there is now virtually no chance of new reactors ever being built in Scotland.

"We should not waste money on French nuclear reactors when we could be using the free renewable energy all around us. Job-creating renewable energy in Scotland should be our future, not a return to polluting nuclear power. Scotland’s politicians should be working together to prevent the UK coalition government’s total zeal nuclear reactors in England damaging investment in renewables here."

(GK)