A KNUTSFORD-based forerunner in the nuclear industry won't be affected by Germany pulling out of a (From Warrington Guardian)

A KNUTSFORD-based forerunner in the nuclear industry won't be affected by Germany pulling out of a

Yesterday (Tuesday) NNC said they weren't worried about the German government's bid to cancel 10-year contracts with Cumbria-based reprocessing plant Sellafield.

"We do do some work for Sellafield but not much," said a spokesman.

"It isn't really anything to do with us."

She said the Booths Hall company, which employs 750 people, did not particularly deal in German markets.

Today (Wednesday) environmental boss Michael Meacher was due to meet a German minister to discuss the cancellation of contracts to reprocess 2,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel.

"As far as I am aware it is pressure from the Greens," said the NNC spokesman. "It might well be economical reasons as well."

In The Times on Monday, Roger Boyes described events in Germany as 'the timetable for the great atomic switch-off.'

He said: "Everything is going more quickly than expected. The Greens are trying to force the pace."

Germany's decision to wind down its nuclear industry could be a boost for NNC if it sets a pattern for other European nations to follow.

The company - originally established to design commercial nuclear power plants - now concentrates on improving safety and decommissioning reactors.

But it still relies on a thriving nuclear industry.

"The reactors have to be there first before we can decommission them," said a spokesman.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.