A joint venture
CGN and EDF created a joint venture company, called General Nuclear System Limited, which undertook the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for the UK HPR1000 nuclear reactor technology.
In October 2016, we wrote to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) requesting entry to the GDA process for the UK HPR1000 reactor design. The request was accompanied by a report providing evidence of our readiness and, in January 2017, we formally entered Step 1 of the GDA process. The targeted timescale for the UK HPR1000 GDA process is approximately five years from the start of Step 1. The GDA was completed in 2022 in line with the original schedule.
CGN and EDF have been working together for more than 30 years on a range of projects, including nuclear development and construction in China. We formed an industrial partnership in the UK to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset and to develop Sizewell C (Suffolk) and Bradwell B (Essex).
Together we bring a wealth of experience in developing nuclear power stations across the world, as well as proven safety and security records. This long-standing cooperation and extensive capability in the nuclear industry will bring numerous benefits to the UK.
General Nuclear System Limited shareholding
General Nuclear System Limited is a UK registered company which is owned by General Nuclear International Limited and EDF Energy Holdings Limited, the UK subsidiaries of CGN and EDF respectively. General Nuclear System Limited acts on behalf of the three joint requesting parties: CGN, EDF and General Nuclear International (GNI). For practical purposes General Nuclear System Limited is referred to as the ‘UK HPR1000 GDA Requesting Party’.
The CGN Group is the owner and operator of both nuclear power and renewable energy plants. As a holding company, CGN has 41 subsidiaries with over 42,000 employees worldwide, providing customers with professional integrated energy solutions, including hydropower, wind power and solar, as well as nuclear power, fuel and financing. CGN is the world’s largest builder of nuclear reactors and is the largest owner and operator of nuclear power stations in China.
CGN currently has 24 units in operation with a capacity of 27.1GW. There are seven units currently under construction by CGN with a capacity of 8.23GW.
General Nuclear International (GNI) is the UK subsidiary of CGN, and a 66.5% shareholder in General Nuclear System.
As a global leader in low-carbon energy, the EDF Group covers every sector of expertise, from generation to trading and transmission grids. EDF builds on the expertise of its people, its R&D and engineering skills, its experience as a leading industry operator and the attentive support of its customers to deliver competitive solutions that successfully reconcile economic growth with climate protection.
As the world’s largest nuclear power generator, with a global installed capacity of 72.9GW, EDF Group has extensive experience of building and running nuclear power stations. EDF Group has also built up a large nuclear power generation capacity in France, where the company’s 58 plants have a total installed capacity of 63.1GW. France is now the second largest generator of nuclear power in the world, after the United States.
In the UK, EDF Energy is the largest producer of low-carbon electricity, and produces around one-fifth of the country’s electricity from its nuclear power stations, wind farms, coal- and gas-powered stations, and combined heat and power plants. The company currently operates 15 nuclear reactors in the UK, with a total installed capacity of just under 8.8GW.
EDF Energy is committed to helping secure our energy supplies for the future by investing in an energy mix that balances the needs of low-carbon emissions, security of supply, and affordability.
