Hitachi Takes Over Horizon: Further Delays for UK Program Likely

On 30 October 2012, it was announced that the consortium led by Japanese Group Hitachi had outbid Toshiba owned Westinghouse for Horizon, the UK based company put up for sale by German utilities E.ON and RWE. The £700 million (€870 million) deal would enable the company to build four Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWRs) at sites in Wylfa and Oldbury. Hitachi are likely to involve the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin, although no specific agreement has been reached. Hitachi had been seen as an unlikely buyer because its ABWR has yet to begin the approval process for use in the UK. This could take up to four years - raising fears of further delays to delivery.