Cumbrian new nuclear backer Toshiba has announced it is set to make a 950bn yen (£6.5bn) loss and has missed a deadline to file its annual results.

The troubled Japanese giant has a 60 per cent stake in NuGen, which has plans to build a new power plant in Moorside, near Sellafield, and is set to become the company's sole owner.

It was given a deadline of yesterday to file its accounts by the Tokyo Stock Exchange but said that these were still being audited.

This comes after the company said last month that it had "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern.

A spokesman said: "Toshiba expresses its sincerest apologies to its shareholders, investors and all other stakeholders for any concern or inconvenience caused."

In a presentation to investors, Toshiba has indicated that it expects to return to profit in the next financial year. This did not mention NuGen directly but said that it expects its energy division to be a profitable part of the business.

Toshiba's woes stem from part of its nuclear operations.

In January the company announced its US subsidiary, Westinghouse Electric, which was originally part of BNFL, may have overpaid - by several billion dollars - for another nuclear construction and services business.

This prompted an investigation into Westinghouse by the company's lawyers. The company says this has contributed to the delay in the publishing of these results.

Westinghouse subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - which gives it protection from its creditors while it restructures - in the USA and is now no longer part of the Toshiba Corporation.

It is still though due to supply three AP1000 reactors to the Moorside project.

Toshiba has announced that it remains committed to Moorside but has also said it will look to sell its stake in the future.

Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) has said it is interested in buying into the project. NuGen is carrying out a "strategic review" into the Moorside project and chief executive Tom Samson has said he is "110 per cent" sure it will go ahead.