UK gov't asks regulator to assess Chinese nuclear reactor design for Bradwell site

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The British government has asked the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation to begin a generic design assessment of a reactor designed by China General Nuclear intended for a planned power plant in Britain.

General Nuclear Services (GNS), a subsidiary of French utility EDF (Paris: FR0010242511 - news) and China General Nuclear, plan to use the design at a new nuclear plant to be built in Bradwell, Essex.

"The investment by GNS in committing the resources required for the UK HPR1000 reactor (Hualong Reactor) to go through the Generic Design Assessment underlines the fact that international companies continue to view investment in the UK's low-carbon energy future positively," said Jesse Norman, junior minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Such assessments typically take around four years.

(Reporting by Nina Chestney and Susanna Twidale; editing by Jason Neely)