Business secretary John Hutton is meeting US energy companies to discuss funding for new nuclear build in the UK.

Hutton is in the US to sign up to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) in a ceremony later today. GNEP promotes nuclear development which reducing volumes of waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation.

During the trip he is meeting, "US energy companies to discuss potential investment in new nuclear build in the UK," according to a release from the department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform (BERR).

Hutton recently invited proposals for new nuclear as part of the UK energy mix. BERR would not release a list of the companies Hutton would be courting, but Toshiba-owned Westinghouse developed the AP1000 model, which is a front-runner for the generic design BERR will eventually adopt to build up to 8 new nuclear power stations.

Signing GNEP will be helpful in the development of new nuclear, allowing the UK to share experience on infrastructure assessments, security and safety requirements from 21 other countries.

Hutton will meet the US Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Samuel Bodman to sign up to GNEP. Hutton said: "The UK shares in the vision of improved non-proliferation and nuclear waste management and recognises the real benefits of initiatives such as GNEP to implement the right solutions and further develop international standards and best practice. 

"With the UK's advanced knowledge and capabilities, particularly in nuclear waste management, GNEP opens up the potential for UK organisations to share their expertise globally through tapping into international projects and building business partnerships.  "

With a new generation of nuclear energy now set to be part of the UK's future energy mix, the UK is in position to play a role in this global initiative." 

Other GNEP countries are: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, Ukraine and the United States.

Source : New Civil Engineer (NCE)