British Energy is in talks with a number of rivals, which could lead to a tie-up or a takeover offer that some say would value the country’s main nuclear power generator at more than US$14 billion. Shares in the British company soared by nearly 20% after it confirmed the discussions but declined to identify any of the potential partners or predators. EDF of France, E.ON of Germany and Centrica, owner of British Gas, are among the key players known to have been holding partnership talks that have turned into something more substantial. British Energy is in demand because it generates about a sixth of Britain’s electricity but, more importantly ,has the most attractive potential sites to build a new generation of nuclear plants. The move comes as the UK government announced that the four new designs being considered for future nuclear reactors in the UK (the European Pressurised Reactor, Westinghouse’s AP1000, ESBWR and Atomic Energy of Canada’s ACR1000) have all passed initial safety tests.