UPDATE 1-UK signals nuclear fast-track, offers new sites

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By Pete Harrison

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it was making up to 18 more sites available for the next generation of nuclear power stations and signalled an acceleration of its plans for new reactors.

The UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which owns 18 sites including two with operational reactors, issued a notice giving operators four weeks to pick the assets they wanted.

And Business Secretary John Hutton said he expected the new generation of nuclear power stations to supply much more of the country's electricity than the current 19 percent.

The government gave the go-ahead to a new generation of reactors in January, setting no limits on nuclear expansion and adding momentum to atomic energy's worldwide renaissance.

The nuclear industry estimates it could have new plants up and running by 2017, but all but one of the existing 10 sites are scheduled to close by 2023.

"Interest in building new nuclear power stations in the UK is strong," Hutton said in a statement.

"It's welcome that the NDA is making its significant land and other assets available to the market," he added.