LONDON, December 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
As Hinkley Point is prepared for
Britain's first new nuclear power
station construction project in a generation, a new ComRes opinion
poll has found that a majority of British adults (58%) now
support the use of nuclear power to provide energy in the UK
including 21% who strongly support nuclear power in the UK. The
opinion poll also found that only 22% were opposed.
(Logo:
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The poll, commissioned by New Nuclear Watch Europe (NNWE), a new
industry watchdog launched today by Tim Yeo, MP for South Suffolk, also highlighted the public's
interest in the safe operation of new technology. Of those polled
82% said that this is a factor when thinking about supporting or
opposing a new nuclear power station close to their home and 68%
believe that it should be mandatory for non-EU companies to have a
track record of safe commercial use in its country of origin before
being permitted to build in Europe. In addition 76% of those polled say
it's important that these projects create jobs, second only in
importance to safety considerations.
In a further significant sign of its growing popularity, the
polling also showed that nuclear (23%) has overtaken renewable
energy sources such as solar (18%) and wind (15%) power as well as
fracking (7%) and coal (3%) as the favourite single energy source
British adults would like the UK and Europe to invest in. Three years ago similar
polling for the British Science Festival showed 19% support for
nuclear compared to 25% for solar and 20% for wind. The NNWE
research also shows nuclear is seen as a potential solution to
climate change issues, with 62% of respondents willing to accept
nuclear power if it helps to tackle climate change.
Tim Yeo, Chairman of NNWE said:
"Nuclear power is part of the solution to the challenge faced by
Britain today of providing secure,
affordable, safe and greener energy and, as NNWE's new poll shows,
we are very fortunate that people in Britain are more positive about nuclear power,
indeed more than in many other countries.
"In this context, however, it is worth noting that the public
has expressed a clear preference for NNWE's first principle that
when a technology has been developed outside the UK, it should have
a track record of safe commercial use, either in the country of
origin or elsewhere outside Britain, before it is deployed here.
"The polling also demonstrates strong support for NNWE's
principle of supportiveness, namely that companies or consortia
delivering nuclear projects in Europe should be good neighbours and benefit
local communities, particularly through the supply chain."
Notes to Editors
New Nuclear Watch Europe (NNWE) is a newly-formed interest group
which has been established to help ensure nuclear power is
recognised as an important and desirable way for European
governments to provide affordable, secure, low carbon energy and
help to meet the long-term energy needs of their citizens.
NNWE wants to ensure that contracts for new nuclear power
stations are awarded in a way which delivers the greatest benefit
in the fairest manner, to local communities, as well as to
consumers and national governments.
NNWE believes that new nuclear power stations in Europe should avoid excessive reliance on
untested technology. It further believes as large as possible a
proportion of the manufacturing and supply chain work involved in
the construction of any new nuclear power stations should be
located within the EU in order to maximize the opportunities for
the employment, training and skills development of EU citizens.
NNWE recognises that the nuclear industry operates in an
increasingly competitive, global marketplace and that it is not
always possible to rely solely on home-grown talent to deliver big
infrastructure projects. NNWE does, however, believe that
everything possible should be done to ensure that partners from
across the supply chain are drawn from within the EU and where
possible, from the country where the power station is sited.
NNWE is therefore, promoting two basic principles across
Europe to ensure new nuclear power
stations are:
1. Safe. Nuclear technology and manufacturing must,
wherever possible, be tried and tested in commercial use. Any new
power stations must also be designed to withstand extreme events of
nature, accidents or terrorist attacks. They must also ensure the
safe and proper disposal of spent fuels in appropriate locations.
Where non-EU nuclear technology is used it should be able to
demonstrate a record of safe commercial use and should not lock
utilities into a single nuclear fuel supplier.
2. Supportive. We believe that companies or
consortia delivering nuclear projects in Europe should be good neighbours and benefit
the local communities in which they operate. This means employing
and investing in local people and working with local partners
across the entire supply chain, not just in low-level manufacture,
but particularly in R&D, engineering, technology and high-end
manufacturing to benefit the domestic economy.
Membership is open to all companies and organisations active in
the nuclear industry including those involved in the supply chain.
For more details, visit http://www.newnuclearwatch.eu
- A more detailed report on the polling results, including
charts, accompanies this release at
http://www.newnuclearwatch.eu
- ComRes interviewed 2,047 GB adults in Great Britain online between 7th and
9th November 2014. DATA
were weighted to be representative of all GB adults aged
18+.
- British Science Festival polling - August 2011 -
http://www.populus.co.uk/uploads/download_pdf-290811-British-Science-Association-Attitudes-on-nuclear-power.pdf