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Sizewell B, Britain’s first pressurised water reactor, has completed
its last major test before fuel is loaded. The ‘hot functional’ test runs
all the plant’s cooling, backup and emergency systems under working conditions,
but without its fuel rods in place. ‘There were no surprises,’ said a spokesman
for Nuclear Electric, which runs the plant.

Last month the government ordered Nuclear Electric to justify the plant’s
worth, by showing that the benefits outweigh its disadvantages. The plant
cannot discharge radioactivity, and so cannot generate power, until government
inspectors are satisfied that the company has made its case. Last week,
the government announced that the public has until 15 June to send comments
to the inspectors.

Nuclear Electric says it hopes to load the fuel at the end of June,
regardless of whether it has a licence to discharge radioactivity.