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The UK nuclear regulator ONR likely will approve the construction of the reactor type AP1000 of Westinghouse. This will be the first authorization for the company in Europe. The news comes literally days after Westinghouse submitted a request for bankruptcy. The company has a contract to build three reactors at the nuclear power plant NuGen in the northwestern part of the country. If the project is realized, the plant will provide 7% of the electricity in the UK.

The announcement of the bankruptcy of the US company, which is part of the holding company of Toshiba, however, question the construction of new plant.

The legislation requires ONR to approve the design of all reactors to be built in the country. The procedure takes about four years in the case of Westinghouse it will end in the coming days, according to the statement of the regulator.

For the American company, however, deadline proved to be much longer, as the first application for approval of the design of the reactor was submitted in 2007. However, the procedure was halted briefly at the end of 2011 due to modification in the design of the reactor and again resumed in 2014.

Currently the UK actively looking to replace the upcoming closing coal plants. For example, the French EDF is working on the project Hinkley Point C, costing 18 billion GBP.

The plant NuGen is a joint venture between Toshiba and French Engie.