§ 3.54 p.m.
D SNOWMy Lords, perhaps this is as convenient a time as any to repeat a Statement which has just been made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister of Technology, about the building of a prototype fast reactor by the Atomic Energy Authority.
"The fast reactor system is one of the principal lines of reactor development and shows good promise of being the most economical system in two senses—both in the cost of electricity produced and in making the most efficient use of uranium and of the plutonium produced as a by-product in Magnox and A.G.R. power stations. A balanced combination of these thermal and fast reactor stations represents the most efficient and economical power supply system which can be envisaged for the foreseeable future.
The Authority advise me that the design of a prototype is now sufficiently firm to justify starting construction and 761 this has been sanctioned by the Government. The prototype will generate 250 MW (Electrical) and its cost, with the associated fuel production plant, will be about £30 million. It is expected that the reactor will be in operation in 1971.
I was advised by the Atomic Energy Authority that only two of their existing sites, namely the reactor development establishments at Dounreay and Winfrith, would be suitable sites for the P.F.R. from the standpoint of technical requirements. After carefully considering all the relevant factors, the Government have decided that it should be built at Dounreay. The fuel production plant will be at Windscale."
My Lords, that concludes my right honourable friend's Statement.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, the House will be grateful to the noble Lord for repeating that Statement. We certainly welcome it. I wonder whether he would be good enough to answer three questions which jump to mind. This new reactor is to be built at Dounreay. Can the noble Lord say how many other sites were considered, and whether, capital-wise, the site which was chosen is the most economical, or were other factors taken into consideration? Can the noble Lord say whether this is to be of British design and of British construction?
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, the answer to the third question is, of course, yes: it is of British design and British construction. In fact, I am delighted to say that we are some years ahead in producing the first prototype reactor. We are some years ahead in this technology, which is most satisfactory. In answer to the first question—namely, how many sites were considered—the answer is four, but only two were serious starters from the point of view of research and development facilities. Those, as I explained, were Dounreay and Winfrith. Chapel Cross was considered, but the research and development does not exist there; and Windscale is going to have the fuel production plant. The capital cost is an extremely difficult thing to quantify. To be honest, we could not give a serious estimate of the comparisons between Winfrith and Dounreay; but it is fair to say that social factors were also taken 762 into consideration, including the state of the population in Caithness.
§ LORD STRATHCLYDEMy Lords, may I say how grateful the people of the North of Scotland will be to Her Majesty's Government for the decision which has been taken. The establishment of the prototype reactor at Dounreay will do much for the people of that area in the North, and may indeed be a magnet to attract industry to that part of the country.
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for those kind words. Of course, the Government greatly hope that industry will be attracted to the North of Scotland.
LORD HAWKEMy Lords, have Her Majesty's Government been able to make any estimates of the cost of the power turned out by this particular project?
§ LORD SNOWMy Lords, it is rather too early to say; but, as the Statement says, we expect that in the mid 'seventies this will be the most economic method of making electrical power.