The
Guardian: British Energy is in talks with a number of
rivals, which could lead to a tie-up or a takeover offer that
some say would value the country's main nuclear power generator
at more than US$14 billion.Shares in the British company soared
by nearly 20% after it confirmed the discussions but declined
to identify any of the potential partners or predators.
EDF
of France,
E.ON of Germany and
Centrica, owner of
British Gas, are among the key players known to have been
holding partnership talks that have turned into something more
substantial.
British Energy is
in demand because it generates about a sixth of Britain's
electricity but, more importantly ,has the most attractive
potential sites to build a new generation of nuclear plants.The
move comes as the
UK government
announced that the four new designs being considered for
future nuclear reactors in the UK (the
European
Pressurised Reactor,
Westinghouse's
AP1000,
ESBWR
and
Atomic
Energy of Canada's ACR1000) have all passed initial safety
tests.
