The Government has pushed ahead with plans for new nuclear power plants in the UK today as it confirmed a list of eight sites, including one by Sizewell B in north Suffolk, where the next generation of reactors can be built.

In the first major announcement on the future of nuclear in the UK since the Fukushima disaster in Japan, the Government outlined the locations deemed suitable for new power stations by 2025, all of which are adjacent to existing nuclear sites.

The eight sites are: Bradwell, Essex; Hartlepool; Heysham, Lancashire; Hinkley Point, Somerset; Oldbury, South Gloucestershire; Sellafield, Cumbria; Sizewell, Suffolk; and Wylfa, Anglesey.

The plans for new nuclear power plants are part of a series of national policy statements on energy that were published today, following public consultation.

They will be debated and voted on in parliament, but ministers are hopeful that, with a pro-nuclear majority in the Commons, they will win.

The plans for Sizewell C and the other sites will then have to progress through a strict planning application process.

Energy Minister Charles Hendry said: "Around a quarter of the UK's generating capacity is due to close by the end of this decade. We need to replace this with secure, low carbon, affordable energy.

"This will require over �100bn worth of investment in electricity generation alone. This means twice as much investment in energy infrastructure in this decade as was achieved in the last decade.'