JOLIDERTAL
Technical Support to Hong Kong Government and CLP
18 Although CLP has over the past two years placed with the UK power plant and transmission industry orders worth about £500m and we have confidence in Sir Lawrence Kadoorie's efforts to secure a major UK hardware content in the station, issues such as nuclear safety could not be left entirely to the CLP team. Neither CLP nor the Hong Kong Government have any experience in nuclear technology and safety aspects.
19 It is therefore desirable for the UK to offer technical support to CLP and to the Hong Kong Government. The Nuclear Power Company have been engaged in parallel discussions with the Chinese. Their expertise and that of UKAEA, CEGB and Nuclear Installations Inspectorate could all be made available.
DIRECT REPRESENTATION
20 UK industry has recently secured about £500m worth of power plant orders from CLP and hopes with continued Government involvement and support to secure orders for at least a further
250m for a development of a Castle Peal: 'B' power station with at least 2 x 660 MW units. The Guangdong nuclear station might possibly be substituted for a second 2 x 660 W stage of the Castle Peak 'B' station - worth a further £200m. We thus want to be in a position to ensure that should the second stage of Castle Peak not proceed, UK manufacturers gain as recompense as much of the manufacturing content of the PWR station as possible.
21 Although the UK does not have much leverage and the Hong Kong connection is our major card, the fact that the Chinese have decided not to proceed with two power plant projects previously "earmarked" for the UK might at some stage be invoked to further UK participation in the Guangdong project as compensation. We would also wish to ensure that any CLP commitments would not prejudice the servicing of their existing debts to the UL. Keeping in touch with the negotiations and participating as and when necessary especially on the Executive Workin Group would certainly be a way of looking after our interests. We have, as part of the
CONFILADIAT
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