WHILE it is true that British Energy could dip its first acquisitive toe into US waters, it seems that Canada is now expected to make the much bigger splash.
After crossing the Atlantic dozens of times in the last six months, Robin Jeffrey will re-locate to Toronto on a permanent basis.
He will be accompanied by 10 or so extra employees who will roughly double the size of British Energy's Canadian
outpost overnight.
All of which means that the Edinburgh-based nuclear generator has moved significantly closer to securing partial ownership of Ontario Hydro.
According to Jeffrey, discussions have reached a level that will require the full-time attention of the man responsible for international development.
With 20 nuclear power plants, Ontario Hydro represents what is potentially a quantum leap in British Energy's overseas
development.
The company may make its first acquisition in the US, but it will take a long time to build up a sizeable portfolio in a country where most nuclear reactors are owned as a stand-alone operation.
The other convenient coincidence is that Jeffrey vacates his positions as chairman and chief executive of Scottish Nuclear before what seems to be the imminent demise of British Energy's separate
English and Scottish
operations.
Jeffrey, who continues as group deputy chairman, indicated yesterday that British Energy chief executive Peter Hollins had the complete integration of Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear high on his list of priorities.
The company is already in the process of dropping the names of both subsidiaries in favour of the British Energy livery.
Completion of this project is expected to be confirmed at the group's annual meeting in July.
The observation by one insider that full integration was ''only a question of timing'' seems dead on target.
Following yesterday's developments, it would appear that the goal is to complete the job before the end of the year.
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