THE reactor earmarked for use at the planned Cumbrian nuclear new build has been given the backing of the industry's regulators.

Westinghouse Electric's AP1000 has been given the seal of approval by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales - the three bodies which carry out generic design assessments of designs.

These groups are satisfied that the reactor meets expectations on safety, security and environmental protection at this stage of the regulatory process.

This news comes though after Westinghouse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA - where it is based - leading parent company Toshiba to say supplying the three required for the proposed new power plant at Moorside, near Sellafield, was "uncertain".

“The successful completion of this rigorous review by the ONR and the EA has been many years in the making, and it represents a major milestone towards bringing a new generation of safe, clean energy to the United Kingdom through the Moorside Project,” said José Emeterio Gutiérrez, interim president and chief executive.

The process for getting this approval began in 2007.

The approval has been welcomed by NuGen, the company behind the Moorside plans.

Tom Samson, the firm's chief executive, said: “This news from the UK regulators is further acknowledgement and a testament to the robust safety features and design of the AP1000 reactor which we will deploy at Moorside.”

“Moorside’s three reactors will provide seven per cent of the UK’s electricity needs from a low-carbon source. This project will be transformational for Cumbria, and the north of England and will offer unrivalled employment, skills and supply chain opportunities in line with the Government’s work on industrial strategy.”

Jo Nettleton, deputy director for radioactive substances and installations regulation at the Environment Agency, said: "Successfully completing GDA means that the AP1000 is capable of meeting the high standards of environment protection and waste management that we require.

We’re already working with NuGen, as it develops its proposals to build and operate three AP1000 reactors at Moorside in Cumbria, to ensure that those high standards are delivered.

Richard Savage, ONR’s chief nuclear inspector, said: "We will now focus our regulatory attention on site specific assessments, and NuGen’s application for a nuclear site licence."