03 August 2010
Sixty-five members and guests from the Women’s Institute in Kent gathered together to hear about the future of nuclear power in the UK during a “Fuel & Power Day” held at the Snodland Community Centre.
The Public Affairs & International (PA& I) Sub Committee of the West Kent Federation of WI’s approached Dungeness B power station for a speaker at their event, Steve Adams, Training Manager at the power station was only too happy to oblige.
In a daylong programme of energy themed topics including nuclear power, carbon capture, wind power and energy saving, the women chewed over the hot topics of the day and debated their thoughts on each.
Discussions were held around the major challenge the UK faces to tackle climate change while maintaining secure and affordable energy supplies and how the country has a target to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, which will require electricity generation to be largely decarbonised by 2030.
Steve Adams spoke about why EDF Energy believes that nuclear power is the lowest cost low carbon option.
Steve said “Dungeness B prides itself on having good links with the local community and raising awareness of the role of nuclear power in the energy mix. We were only too pleased to go along and speak with the West Kent Federation of Women’s Institutes about the importance of nuclear power both now and in the future.”
Jean Gibbins from the West Kent Federation said: “This was just one of the many events organised by WI members across the UK covering a wide range of relevant local and international topics. As the future availability of energy sources is of growing concern to all, the PA&I Committee asked various experts in the field to give detailed facts and information about all forms of energy so that members could be as well informed as possible.”
The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK, with 207,000 members in England, Wales and the Islands.
The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.
To give an informed broad overview at the WI Fuel and Power Day speakers from Kingsnorth power station, Protect Kent and Carbon Capture also joined Dungeness B power station at the event.
ENDS
For more information please contact Marjorie Barnes in the EDF Energy Press Office on 01728 653378
Notes to editors
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company provides power to a quarter of the Britain’s population via its electricity distribution networks and supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customer product accounts.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear reactors, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
In its nuclear activities EDF Energy has partnered with Centrica, which has a 20% stake in the company’s eight existing plants and in the project carrying out pre-development work for new build. Centrica also has the option to take up to 20% stakes in each of the four planned EPR nuclear reactors.
Through Our Sustainability Commitments, EDF Energy has launched one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Team Green Britain.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. Following the integration with British Energy in 2009, the company employs around 20,000 people at locations across the UK.
About the WI
The Women’s Institute was formed in 1915 with two clear aims: to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then our aims have broadened and we are now the largest women’s organisation in the UK. We celebrated our 90th anniversary in 2005 and currently have 205,000 members in 6,500 WIs.
We play a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.