Transcript of Vincent de Rivaz

PLEASE NOTE "THE ANDREW MARR SHOW" MUST BE CREDITED IF ANY PART OF THIS TRANSCRIPT IS USED

On Sunday 20th March Andrew Marr interviewed EDF Chief Executive Vincent de Rivaz

ANDREW MARR:

The story of those brave Japanese technicians struggling to stop a major further radiation leak after the tsunami is very moving, and the latest from the Japanese government is that the plant will have to be scrapped. The events there will of course inflame anti-nuclear worries elsewhere. Here we're on the verge of a new generation of nuclear reactors - nuclear being pretty central to the coalition's energy strategy. The man in charge of EDF Energy, scheduled to build four of those reactors, is its Chief Executive Vincent de Rivaz. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

Good morning.

ANDREW MARR:

Can I ask, first of all, about the Japanese situation - what the rest of the nuclear industry around the world, including yourselves, can do to help?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

It's a terrible human tragedy what is happening in Japan - the earthquake, the tsunami - and our thoughts are with the Japanese people and we are all impressed by their resilience, dignity facing this tragedy. As a company, part of the nuclear industry worldwide, we are ready to help and we are have already sent some specific equipments - boric acid, potassium iodate tablets - and we have made available further help if needed.

ANDREW MARR:

There's no doubt that this is going to be difficult for the nuclear industry, including in Britain. I mean the Chinese have put a moratorium on further nuclear development while they look at the safety of their reactors. I'm quite sure across Europe people are looking again at the safety of reactors. This is at the very least going to be another serious pause, is it not, for the industry?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

It is a very serious accident and there is no doubt that there will be consequences. What I would like to say is first of all regarding our plants here in Britain, it is very important for me to be sure that they are safe and the Safety Authority has told us that there is good, robust safety standard in our plants in the UK. And at the same time, I think as an industry, as part of our DNA we have to learn, and what is happening in Japan will learn us. And all the lessons will be put into practice in our nuclear plants in Britain, and it is very important for me that our people are ready to learn. We have already taken some decisions - backup systems have been reviewed, refreshing trading, emergency plan - and we have in place, without waiting for the full review of the events in Japan, some practices to be ready to learn all the lessons. And the fact that I would say the circumstances in Japan are so different in terms of earthquake and tsunami doesn't mean that we have not lessons to learn.

ANDREW MARR:

You have to raise money though, don't you, to build these new reactors in Britain? Is there not a real effect likely to be on investors and the general public opinion against nuclear power because of what's happened?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

I am struck by the fact that the reaction in UK has been measured. I mean UK has to be commended. UK government, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State, the Leader of the Opposition, the Safety Regulator, the local communities, and, dare I say, our staff all have had a clearheaded reaction, calm reaction, no knee-jerk reaction. And it is very important because we are conscious that this event will have impact in the future and our plans, to be clear, are undimmed because UK needs nuclear. And the question for me is not to make a pause. The question for me is how we are going to take the lessons in our plants, and I cannot prejudge what will be the consequences. What I can say is our plans have to go ahead because you know we have been through years and years of debate in this country reaching this consensus about the needs of nuclear, part of a diverse energy mix, and the question for us is how to go ahead without underestimating the consequences of the events.

ANDREW MARR:

It's essential to the case for the nuclear industry that it's going to be much greener and more environmental than the way we burn energy at the moment. And yet even if we built all the nuclear power stations in this country on time that are planned, I think that would only have a 4% effect on cutting our overall carbon use. So it's not, it's never going to be a central part of cutting the emission of carbon gases, is it?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

What we have said through years of debate - and it was a very open debate - is that nuclear is not the single solution, but there is no solution without nuclear. So in the light of the events of Japan, I think, as I have said, we need to avoid any knee-jerk reaction. Our plans have to go ahead, but I will not prejudge what will be the consequences of these events in Japan on our plans.

ANDREW MARR:

What about the cost effects though because at the moment I think it's about a billion pounds of subsidy a year to the nuclear industry and Britain's producing about 17% of generation? And it's only going to become more expensive, isn't it, as you know the safety issues become more complex?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

There is no plan at all to have any subsidies for our new nuclear plants in the UK. It has never been part of the government's plans and it is not part of our intention at all. So I cannot prejudge what will be the consequence. There is a report which is very important. Because we are in a country where the government has taken a very measured reaction, it asks the safety regulator - and we have a strong, credible, independent safety regulator - to make a review. And this review will be public, will be transparent, will be independent, will be evidence based, will be shared at the international level, and we will take into account all the lessons from this review.

ANDREW MARR:

One final thought. Is there any possibility at all that there's going to be such a wave of anti-nuclear feeling as a result of what's happened in Japan that you simply won't be able to go ahead in Britain?

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

You know in my job, I have two words: humility and leadership. Humility is about respect for the facts and we need to understand what has happened. We need to analyse the facts and we need to draw the lessons. Humility is also the respect for different viewpoints. And I accept that there will be different viewpoints, but leadership is about deserving the trust of the public. It is my job to deserve the trust of the public and at the end of the day to make sure that what this country needs will happen.

ANDREW MARR:

Alright. Thank you very much indeed, Mr Rivaz.

VINCENT DE RIVAZ:

Thank you very much.

INTERVIEW ENDS

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