LONDON (Bloomberg) — The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which operates and cleans up state-owned sites, said bidding began yesterday on three possible sites for construction of new facilities.

Bidding is under way for land adjacent to the Wylfa, Oldbury and Bradwell nuclear stations, the UK authority said in a statement on its website. The auction will be run by Colliers CRE.

The UK government plans to add nuclear capacity over the next two decades as it seeks to curb carbon emissions and replace old plants. Nine of 10 nuclear facilities currently operating in Britain are due to close by 2025.

The Wylfa lot includes land owned by both the UK agency and Electricite de France SA, the statement said.

German utilities and RWE AG said on January 14 they formed a venture to bid for the sites. Scottish & Southern Energy Plc and Iberdrola SA have a partnership to buy land for new reactors. EDF said last year it is planning to have four new nuclear reactors running in the UK by 2025.

The Wylfa and Oldbury stations are to close in March 2010, the statement said. Bradwell is currently being decommissioned.