HC Deb 16 November 1973 vol 864 cc288-9W
Mr. Patrick McNair-Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the cost of generating a unit of electricity in nuclear power stations using magnox, AGR and water systems.

Mr. Emery

The generating costs of the existing Magnox stations reflect the capital costs of those stations at the time they were built. The capital cost of a similar station today would be very much higher. No commercial AGR or water reactor has yet operated in this country. The probable generating costs of new stations using these types of reactor are being examined by the Nuclear Power Advisory Board as part of its work on reactor choice.

Mr. Patrick McNair-Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the approximate cost of building a 2,000 MW nuclear power station using Magnox, AGR and water systems, allowing for an annual rate of cost increase of 10 per cent.

Mr. Emery

I regret that these figures are not available.