EDF gives go-ahead for Hinkley Point nuclear project

• 7 years ago (2016-07-28)

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Following the agreement, legally binding contracts will be signed and construction work can then begin.

The decision to proceed with the plant has been criticized by environmental groups such as Greenpeace, which have called for more investment in renewable energy sources instead. Unions welcomed the news saying it will create some 25 000 jobs.

Located in Somerset, Hinkley Point C will cost an estimated £18 billion. The plant is expected to provide up to 7 per cent of the UK’s electricity over its estimated 60-year lifespan and is scheduled to go online in 2025 – seven years later than planned.

However, this timetable could prove to be overly optimistic, as it will use the same reactor design as a plant being built in Flamanville, France, which is years behind schedule and more than three times over budget.

EDF said recently that Hinkley Point was a “unique asset for French industry as it would benefit the whole of the nuclear industry and support employment in major companies and smaller enterprises in the sector”.