Hinkley Point C nuclear power station (HPC) is a two-unit, 3,200
MWe
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Watt ...
EPR nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...
station under construction in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
, England.
The site was one of eight announced by the British government in 2010,
and in November 2012 a nuclear site licence was granted.
On 28 July 2016, the EDF board approved the project,
and on 15 September 2016 the UK government approved the project with some safeguards for the investment.
The project is financed by
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses through ...
and
China General Nuclear Power Group
China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) (), formerly China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (), is a Chinese state-owned energy corporation under the SASAC of the State Council.
In China, CGN operates nuclear plants at Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plan ...
(CGN).
Since construction began in March 2017, the project has been subject to several delays, including some caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, and this has resulted in significant budget overruns. , the project is two years late and the expected cost is £2526billion,
50% more than the original budget from 2016. It is currently planned to be commissioned in June 2027 and has a projected lifetime of 60 years.
History
In January 2008, a
UK government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
white paper
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
announced support for a new generation of nuclear power stations to be built.
Hinkley Point C, in conjunction with
Sizewell C, was expected to contribute 13% of UK electricity by the early 2020s.
Areva
Areva S.A. is a French multinational group specializing in nuclear power headquartered in Courbevoie, France. Before its 2016 corporate restructuring, Areva was majority-owned by the French state through the French Alternative Energies and Atom ...
, the EPR's designer, initially estimated that electricity could be produced at the competitive price of £24 per MWh.
EDF EDF may refer to:
Organisations
* Eclaireurs de France, a French Scouting association
* Education for Development Foundation, a Thai charity
* Électricité de France, a French energy company
** EDF Energy, their British subsidiary
** EDF Luminus, ...
, which is 85% owned by the French government, purchased
British Energy
British Energy was the UK's largest electricity generation company by volume, before being taken over by Électricité de France (EDF) in 2009. British Energy operated eight former UK state-owned nuclear power stations and one coal-fired power ...
for £12.4billion in a deal that was finalised in February 2009, with the nuclear generation business becoming part of
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses through ...
. This deal was part of a joint venture with UK utility
Centrica
Centrica plc is a British multinational energy and services company with its headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire. Its principal activity is the supply of electricity and gas to consumers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It is the largest su ...
, who acquired a 20% stake in EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd as well as the option to participate in EDF Energy's UK new nuclear build programme.
In September 2008, EDF, the new owners of
Hinkley Point B, announced plans to build a third, twin-unit
European Pressurised Reactor
The EPR is a third generation pressurised water reactor design. It has been designed and developed mainly by Framatome (part of Areva between 2001 and 2017) and Électricité de France (EDF) in France, and Siemens in Germany. In Europe this rea ...
(as the EPR was then called) reactor at
Hinkley Point
Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, north of Bridgwater and west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett.
Excavations in 2014 and 2015, carried out by Cotswold Archaeology and fund ...
,
to join
Hinkley Point A (
Magnox
Magnox is a type of nuclear power/production reactor that was designed to run on natural uranium with graphite as the moderator and carbon dioxide gas as the heat exchange coolant. It belongs to the wider class of gas-cooled reactors. The n ...
), which is now closed and being decommissioned, and the Hinkley Point B (
AGR), which has a closure date for accounting purposes of 2023.
On 18 October 2010, the British government announced that
Hinkley Point
Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, north of Bridgwater and west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett.
Excavations in 2014 and 2015, carried out by Cotswold Archaeology and fund ...
– already the site of the disused
Hinkley Point A and the then still operational
Hinkley Point B power stations– was one of the eight sites it considered suitable for future nuclear power stations.
NNB Generation Company
Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB GenCo) is a subsidiary created by EDF Energy to build and then operate two new nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom. The new plants are to be Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and will eventually prod ...
, a subsidiary of EDF, submitted an application for a Development Consent Order to the
Infrastructure Planning Commission The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) was a non-departmental public body responsible for the examining and in certain circumstances the decision making body for proposed nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales. Cre ...
on 31 October 2011.
In February 2013,
Centrica
Centrica plc is a British multinational energy and services company with its headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire. Its principal activity is the supply of electricity and gas to consumers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It is the largest su ...
withdrew from the new nuclear construction programme, citing building costs that were higher than it had anticipated and a longer construction timescale caused by modifications added after the
Fukushima disaster.
The Development Consent Order was published was published in March 2013. That same month, a group of MPs and academics, concerned that the 'talks lack the necessary democratic accountability, fiscal and regulatory checks and balances', called for the
National Audit Office to conduct a detailed review of the negotiations between the
Department of Energy and Climate Change
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom created on 3 October 2008, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the functions related to energy of the Department for Busin ...
and EDF.
In October 2013, the government announced that it had agreed a
contract for difference for the electricity production of Hinkley Point C with a strike price of £89.50 per
MWh, with the plant expected to be completed in 2023 and remain operational for 60 years.
In December 2013, the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
opened an investigation to assess whether the project complies with
state aid rules
[
] with reports suggesting the UK government's plan may well constitute illegal state aid.
Joaquín Almunia
Joaquín Almunia Amann (born 17 June 1948) is a Spanish politician and formerly, prominent member of the European Commission. During his tenure in the two Barroso Commissions, he was European commissioner responsible for economic and monetary a ...
, the
EU Competition Commissioner, referred to the plans as "a complex measure of an unprecedented nature and scale"
and said that the European Commission is "not under any legal time pressure to complete the investigation".
In January 2014, an initial critical decision was published, indicating that the UK government's plan may well constitute illegal state aid, requiring a formal state aid investigation examining the subsidies.
David Howarth
David Ross Howarth (born 10 November 1958) is a British academic and politician who was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cambridge from 2005–10. He served as an Electoral Commissioner between 2010 and 2018. He is Professor of L ...
, a former Liberal Democrat MP, doubted "whether this is a valid contract at all" under EU and English law.
Franz Leidenmuhler (
University of Linz
The Johannes Kepler University Linz (German: ''Johannes Kepler Universität Linz'', short: ''JKU'') is a public institution of higher education in Austria. It is located in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. It offers bachelor's, master's, d ...
, a specialist in EU
state aid cases and
European competition law
European competition law is the competition law in use within the European Union. It promotes the maintenance of competition within the European Single Market by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies to ensure that they do not cre ...
), wrote that "a rejection is nearly unavoidable. The Statement of the Commission in its first findings of 18 December 2013, is too clear. I do not think that some conditions could change that clear result."
Though given that, ten months later the European Commission approved the financing.
In March 2014, the
Court of Appeal
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
allowed
An Taisce
An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland (; meaning "the store" or "the treasury"), established in June 1948, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) active in the areas of the environment and built heritage in Ireland. It considers itself t ...
, the National Trust for Ireland, to challenge the legality of the decision by the
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change was a British government cabinet position from 2008 to 2016. The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 when then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown ...
to grant development consent. An Taisce lawyers say there was a failure to undertake "transboundary consultation" as required by the European Commission's
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental imp ...
Directive.
Lord Justice Sullivan said that though "he did not venture that it had a real prospect of success, it was desirable that the court should give a definitive view as to whether there should be a reference to the
Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) (french: Cour de justice de l'Union européenne or "''CJUE''"; Latin: Curia) is the Judiciary, judicial branch of the European Union (EU). Seated in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quart ...
and, if not, on the meaning of the Directive".
In July 2014 the
Court of Appeal
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
rejected An Taisce's application on the basis 'that severe nuclear accidents were very unlikely... no matter how low the threshold for a "likely" significant effect on the environment... the likelihood of a nuclear accident was so low that it could be ruled out even applying the stricter Waddenzee approach'
The
UN, under the
, ordered the
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local government ...
to send a delegation to face the committee in December 2014, on the "profound suspicion" that the UK failed to properly consult neighbouring countries.
In September 2014, news leaked that "discussions with the UK authorities have led to an agreement. On this basis, vice-president Almunia will propose to the college of commissioners to take a positive decision in this case. In principle a decision should be taken within this mandate" with a final decision expected in October 2014.
On 8 October 2014, it was announced that the European Commission had approved the project, with only four commissioners voting against the decision.
The European Commission adjusted the "gain-share mechanism" whereby higher profits are shared with UK taxpayers.
![Construction of new power station at Hinkley Point (geograph 5569909)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Construction_of_new_power_station_at_Hinkley_Point_%28geograph_5569909%29.jpg)
In June 2015, the Austrian government filed a legal complaint with the European Commission on the subject of the state subsidies.
In September 2020, the court confirmed the aid approved by the commission.
In September 2015, EDF admitted that the project would not be completed by 2023, with an announcement on the final investment decision expected in October 2015. Earlier plans to announce Areva and 'other investors' were dropped: "in order to have speed, in the first phase EDF and the Chinese will be the investors".
A report by the IEA and NEA suggests privatization as one of the causes for British nuclear power being more expensive than nuclear power in other countries.
In February 2016, EDF again delayed a final investment decision on the project, disclosing that the financial agreement with CGN was yet to be confirmed. EDF, which had recently reported a 68% fall in net profit, was still looking at how it would finance its share of the project. With EDF's share price having halved over the preceding year, the cost of the Hinkley Point C project now exceeded the entire
market capitalisation
Market capitalization, sometimes referred to as market cap, is the total value of a publicly traded company's outstanding common shares owned by stockholders.
Market capitalization is equal to the market price per common share multiplied by t ...
of EDF. EDF stated that "first concrete", the start of actual construction, was not planned to begin until 2019.
In June 2016, EDF executives and managers told
MPs that the Hinkley Point C proposal should be postponed until it had "solved a litany of problems", including EDF's "soaring debts". EDF said it would delay a final investment decision until September 2016.
On 28 July 2016, the EDF board approved the project when 10 out of 17 directors voted yes on the final investment decision.
Gérard Magnin, a director of EDF who was opposed to the project, resigned before the vote. On the same day, the
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark announced that the government would delay its decision until the autumn of 2016 to "consider carefully all the component parts of this project", including Britain's
national security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...
.
On 8 August 2016,
Liu Xiaoming
/ ( or ) is an East Asian surname. pinyin: in Mandarin Chinese, in Cantonese. It is the family name of the Han dynasty emperors. The character originally meant 'kill', but is now used only as a surname. It is listed 252nd in the classic text ...
, China's ambassador to Britain, wrote that the UK risked major power shortages by 2025, the Hinkley Point C project is ready to go ahead, the 'UK could not have a better partner than the China General Nuclear Power Corporation', and 'the China-UK relationship is at a crucial historical juncture'.
In August 2016, it was reported that 'civil servants are looking to see if there is any loophole, clause or issue in contracts yet to be signed that allow the Government to pull back without huge loss and while also saving face',
that Beijing 'will resist any compromise on the deal',
and that one option under consideration is to approve Hinkley Point C but delay a decision on the
Bradwell reactor.
In September 2016, the UK government announced after its review "significant new safeguards".
In February 2017, the
UN, under the
, 'said the UK should consider refraining from further works' until it has heard back from other countries on whether it would be helpful for them to be formally notified under a treaty on transboundary environmental impacts.
In July 2017, the estimated construction cost had climbed in two years to £19.6billion and was revised to £20.3billion accounting for the fifteen months estimated delay cost, with a start date of between 2025 and 2027.
In January 2021, the estimated construction cost was revised to £2223 billion, with expected start date of June 2026.
In May 2022, another year of delay and further cost rises were announced, bringing the total to an estimated £2526billion.
In July 2022, EDF warned there was a possibility of further delay to September 2028.
[
On 13 September 2022, a construction worker was killed on site, in a traffic incident.
]
Construction work
Early enabling works started in July 2008, with the construction of a car park for a ground investigation programme.
In 2012, EDF purchased the site of the Manor of Sydenham
Sydenham House, the manor house of the ancient manor of Sydenham in the parish of Wembdon, Somerset, England, is a grade II listed building, constructed in the early 16th century and refronted and rebuilt after 1613. In 1937, British Cellopha ...
near Bridgwater which had previously been used as a factory site by British Cellophane
British Cellophane Ltd (BCL) was a joint venture company formed in 1935 between La Cellophane SA and Courtaulds, when they began building a major factory for producing Cellophane in Bridgwater, Somerset, England.
History
19th century
The proce ...
, including the Grade II listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
16th century building.
In 2014, 400staff undertook initial preparation and construction work. This work included access roads and roundabouts for increased construction traffic, park and ride schemes for the site workers, and a new roundabout for the village of Cannington. Further plans include the construction of a sea wall and a jetty for ships to deliver sand, aggregate and cement for concrete production.
In 2015, the factory site was razed to the ground for construction of temporary accommodation for 1,000 workers.
Since 2016, the construction site for Hinkley Point C has had its own bus company, Somerset Passenger Solutions
Somerset Passenger Solutions is a bus and coach operator in Somerset, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.
History
Somerset Passenger Solutions commenced operating staff and community services in 2016 during the construction of EDF Energy' ...
(SPS), a joint venture between FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.[The Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset is the trading name used by bus operator First South West for services operated in Somerset from depots in the towns of Taunton and Bridgwater since 2014. The services were formerly managed as part of First Somerset & Avon ...]
division and the Southern National
Southern National was a bus company operating in South West England from 1929 until 1969, and again from 1983 until 1999.
History Original company (1929-1969)
Southern National Omnibus Company[EDF EDF may refer to:
Organisations
* Eclaireurs de France, a French Scouting association
* Education for Development Foundation, a Thai charity
* Électricité de France, a French energy company
** EDF Energy, their British subsidiary
** EDF Luminus, ...]
, after the (ONR) gave approval to start building, the building of the first parts of the plant proper began with a network of tunnels to carry cabling and piping. Work was also under way on a jetty to land building materials, a seawall, and accommodation blocks.
In January 2018 EDF said that they were on track to start generating electricity by 2025 and that they planned to start constructing above-ground structures for the power station by June 2019.
The approximate concrete pour for the first reactor started on 11 December 2018. It was completed over a 30-hour period, creating the first part of the unit one 4,500 metric ton base, a platform thick. The reactor building will be built on the (to be completed) platform. This construction start marks the first new reactor build in the UK after a 30-year break, and the second PWR in the UK, after Sizewell B.
Completion of the base for the first reactor, the final of concrete, was achieved in June 2019.
Completion of the base for the second reactor, of concrete, was achieved in June 2020.
Construction utilises the world's largest crane, the Sarens SGC-250 double ring crane, which is responsible for lifting Hinkley Point C's heaviest components. More than 600 heavy fabrications, including the five major parts of each unit's steel containment liner and dome, are positioned by the SGC-250. The crane, named ''Big Carl'', was delivered in modular form, consisting of over 400 deliveries.
Schedule
Permits and licences
In November 2012, it was announced that the UK's ONR had awarded a nuclear site licence to NNB Generation Company
Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB GenCo) is a subsidiary created by EDF Energy to build and then operate two new nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom. The new plants are to be Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and will eventually prod ...
, a subsidiary created by EDF Energy
EDF Energy is a British integrated energy company, wholly owned by the French state-owned EDF (Électricité de France), with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of natural gas and electricity to homes and businesses through ...
. This was the first nuclear site licence awarded for a nuclear power station in the UK since 1987, when one was granted for the construction of Sizewell B in Suffolk.
In March 2013, three environmental permits setting levels for emissions from the proposed power station were granted and planning consent was given, but agreement on electricity pricing was still required before building could start.
Through 2013, the operator was in negotiations with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other government agencies. A major sticking point was a demand by EDF Energy for a guaranteed price for the electricity to be produced, which was about twice the current UK electricity rates. The project is part of the UK's plans to implement a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by the mid-2020s, which provides for building Hinkley Point C and several other nuclear power plants. By 2013, the operator had invested about £1billion in site preparation and other start-up costs. If built, the plant will meet about 7% of the UK's electricity needs.
In 2013, Welsh ministers granted permission for EDF to dispose of construction sediment off Cardiff Bay. EDF have said the work 'is not harmful to humans or the environment' but marine pollution expert Tim Deere Jones claims the mud 'could expose people to radioactivity'.
In October 2013, the government announced that it had approved the agreement of a "strike price" for the plant's electricity, a major condition for its construction.
In September 2016, the government confirmed it would give EDF a contract for difference for power from the project, imposing significant new safeguards for future foreign investment in critical infrastructure.
On 28 March 2017, the ONR granted its first consent to begin construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant. The consent covers the placement of the structural concrete for the first nuclear safety-related structure.
On 15 March 2019, the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
invited comments on an environmental permit application from NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited for Hinkley Point C Power Station, with a closing date of 26 July 2019.
Economics
Cost to consumers
EDF has negotiated a guaranteed fixed price– a "strike price" – for electricity from Hinkley Point C under a government sanctioned Contract for difference(CfD). The price is £92.50/MWh (in 2012 prices), which will be adjusted (linked to inflation – £106/MWh in 2021) during the construction period and over the subsequent 35 years tariff period. The base strike price
In finance, the strike price (or exercise price) of an option is a fixed price at which the owner of the option can buy (in the case of a call), or sell (in the case of a put), the underlying security or commodity. The strike price may be set b ...
could fall to £89.50/MWh if a new plant at Sizewell is also approved. High consumer prices for energy will hit the poorest consumers hardest according to the Public Accounts Committee.
In 2022, EDF sought to change the contract to maintain the 35 years tariff period should full operation start after May 2029, which triggers the start of the period regardless of operation status. EDF argued the COVID-19 crisis was a force majeure
In contract law, (from Law French: 'overwhelming force', ) is a common clause in contracts which essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such ...
event, justifying the change.
In July 2016, the National Audit Office estimated that due to falling energy costs, the additional cost to consumers of 'future top-up payments under the proposed CfD for Hinkley Point C had increased from £6.1billion in October 2013, when the strike price
In finance, the strike price (or exercise price) of an option is a fixed price at which the owner of the option can buy (in the case of a call), or sell (in the case of a put), the underlying security or commodity. The strike price may be set b ...
was agreed, to £29.7billion'. In July 2017, this estimate rose to £50billion, or 'more than eight times the 2013 estimate'.
Research carried out by Imperial College Business School
Imperial College Business School is the graduate business school of Imperial College London in the UK. In 2004, the business school was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
History
In 1851, the Great Exhibition was the first World's Fair, organized by ...
argues that no new nuclear power plants would be built in the UK without government intervention. Some pro-nuclear groups have also said that the 'strike price
In finance, the strike price (or exercise price) of an option is a fixed price at which the owner of the option can buy (in the case of a call), or sell (in the case of a put), the underlying security or commodity. The strike price may be set b ...
of Hinkley Point C is too high'.
In December 2013, Jim Ratcliffe
Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe (born 18 October 1952) is an English billionaire, chemical engineer and businessman. Ratcliffe is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Ineos chemicals group, which he founded in 1998 and of which he ...
, the chairman and CEO of Ineos
INEOS Group Limited is a British multinational chemicals company headquartered and registered in London. , it is the fourth largest chemical company in the world.
Ineos is organised into about 20 standalone business units, each with its own b ...
said he had recently agreed to purchase nuclear power in France
Since the mid 1980s, the largest source of electricity in France is Nuclear power, with a generation of 379.5 TWh in 2019 and a total electricity production of . In 2018, the nuclear share was 71.67%, the highest percentage in the world.
Sin ...
at £37.94 (€45) per MWh and warned of the Hinkley Point C project: "Forget it. Nobody in manufacturing is going to go near £95 per MWh". Also in December 2013, the chairman of Voimaosakeyhtiö SF described the Hinkley Point C "strike price" as 'very high', saying 'subsidies will drive prices up, as everyone will try to get as high a price as possible. Fennovoima
Fennovoima Ltd ( fi, Fennovoima Oy) is a nuclear power company established by Russian state's nuclear company Rosatom and a consortium of Finnish state-owned power and industrial companies.
The company does not own any nuclear capacities; however ...
( Hanhikivi) will be built without any subsidies, now or ever'.
A 2014 Agora Energiewende
Agora Energiewende is a think tank supporting the ''Energiewende'' in Germany. It is funded by and the European Climate Foundation.
Its members debate under the Chatham House Rule and include Klaus Töpfer, Ottmar Edenhofer, and Claude Turmes ...
study found that new wind and solar generation is up to 50% cheaper than new nuclear, based on what they described as a conservative comparison of current feed-in tariffs in Germany with the agreed strike price
In finance, the strike price (or exercise price) of an option is a fixed price at which the owner of the option can buy (in the case of a call), or sell (in the case of a put), the underlying security or commodity. The strike price may be set b ...
for Hinkley Point C. The study does not actually compare UK strike prices for wind and solar energy sources with the proposed UK strike price for nuclear energy, and it ignores a number of external and integration costs, including all costs of grid upgrades expected for wind, solar, and gas sources, and for wind and solar specifically, both the expected future reductions in cost for these sources and most of the increased integration costs for variable energy resources.
In 2016, Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G
E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism) is a climate change think tank operating to accelerate a global transition to a low-carbon future. The organisation has staff based in Brussels, Berlin, London and Washington, D.C..
Organisation
E3G stan ...
) proposed five ways that the UK could be powered at lower cost to the consumers than by Hinkley Point C:
* improved energy efficiency could reduce consumption by more than the projected capacity of Hinkley Point C, according to a McKinsey
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
report for the government,
* onshore wind power, which is much cheaper, and offshore wind power, which is also likely to become cheaper than power from Hinkley Point C,
* solar power, which by 2016 has become cheaper than power from Hinkley Point C,
* interconnector
An interconnector (also known as a DC tie in the USA) is a structure which enables high voltage DC electricity to flow between electrical grids. An electrical interconnector allows electricity to flow between separate AC networks, or to link sy ...
s to Norway, Denmark and France, according to a report for NIC and
* savings in electricity due to improved storage and flexibility
Stiffness is the extent to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force.
The complementary concept is flexibility or pliability: the more flexible an object is, the less stiff it is.
Calculations
The stiffness, k, of a bo ...
, according to a NIC report for the government.
In August 2016, CEO Henrik Poulsen of DONG Energy
Dong or DONG may refer to:
Places
* Dong Lake, or East Lake, a lake in China
* Dong, Arunachal Pradesh, a village in India
* Dong (administrative division) (동 or 洞), a neighborhood division in Korea
Persons
*Queen Dong (1623–1681), princes ...
argued that the UK's future energy needs can be covered with accelerated construction of cheaper offshore wind farms
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the Wind power, generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more electricity per ...
instead of Hinkley Point C. Poulsen stated that wind farms could currently undercut Hinkley Point C's strike price with £85/MWh, while others in the industry believe that by the mid-2020s the electricity price from offshore wind farms would reach £80/MWh. On 10 August 2016, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (born 7 December 1957) is the international business editor of the '' Daily Telegraph''.
Early life
Evans-Pritchard was born in Oxford. He was educated at Malvern College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read ...
of the ''Daily Telegraph
Daily or The Daily may refer to:
Journalism
* Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks
* ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times''
* ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
'' wrote that, with growth in energy storage there is little point in construction of baseload power plants such as Hinkley Point C and alleged that "nuclear reactors cannot be switched on and off as need demands" (see also Load following power plant#Nuclear power plants).
On 26 August 2016, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit released a report on alternatives to Hinkley Point C. It found that a mixture of established approaches including wind farms, cables connecting the UK grid with other countries and gas-fired power stations, together with measures to manage demand, would save the UK around £1billion per year while keeping the lights on and meeting climate targets.
On 12 October 2017, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' reported that researchers informed MPs that the UK government was using the expensive Hinkley Point C project to cross-subsidise the UK military's nuclear-related activity by maintaining nuclear skills. The researchers from the University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
, Prof. Andy Stirling and Dr. Phil Johnstone, stated that the costs of the Trident nuclear submarine programme would be prohibitive without "an effective subsidy from electricity consumers to military nuclear infrastructure".
In 2020, EDF announced that the project had resulted in the creation of 10,300 jobs, £1.67billion spent with companies in the region, and £119million of community investments.
Return on equity
One analyst at Liberium Capital described the strike price as 'economically insane' in October 2013: "as far as we can see this makes Hinkley Point the most expensive power station in the world... on a leveraged basis we expect EDF to earn a Return on Equity (ROE) well in excess of 20% and possibly as high as 35%". "Having considered the known terms of the deal, we are flabbergasted that the UK Government has committed future generations of consumers to the costs that will flow from this deal".
According to the UK CfD (Contracts for Difference) register the strike price for Hinkley point C is lower than all offshore wind and Biomass contracts in that allocation period.
The cost of offshore wind did not fall below that of Hinkley Point C until 2021 https://www.lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfd-register/
According to a March 2014 report by Policy Connect
Policy Connect is an independent, cross-party not-for-profit organization with two decades in policy work, overseeing the research and delivery of more than 50 key publications. The think tank has a history of running forums, commissions and All ...
, ROE could be between around 19 and 21%, with "broadly two possible reasons...firstly, the risks faced by EDF could genuinely be greater, therefore commanding a higher rate of return. Alternatively, or in addition, the negotiating process may not have been effective in driving down the expected rate of return
In finance, return is a profit on an investment. It comprises any change in value of the investment, and/or cash flows (or securities, or other investments) which the investor receives from that investment, such as interest payments, coupons, ca ...
relative to risk. A lack of competition in the negotiating process could have been influential here. The European Commission has questioned the likelihood of the first of these explanations, in light of what is already known about the allocation of risk".
A European Commission decision on 8 October 2014, adjusted the "gain-share mechanism" whereby higher profits are shared with UK taxpayers. Rather than a 50-50 profit share if the project returned above 15%, the revised "gain share mechanism" will see the UK taxpayer get 60 percent of any profits above a 13.5% return.
According to Dieter Helm
Sir Dieter Robin Helm (born 11 November 1956) is a British economist and academic.
Career
Helm is Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Oxford, and Fellow in Economics at New College, Oxford.New College, University of Oxforprofile. ...
, professor of Energy Policy at the University of Oxford, "Hinkley Point C would have been roughly half the cost if the government had been borrowing the money to build it at 2%, rather than EDF's cost of capital, which was 9%."
In July 2017, EDF said that "if the £2.2billion cost increase came to pass, its rate of return on the project would drop from 9% to 8.2%". In September 2019, ''The Guardian'' reported that the additional cost increase in 2019 would bring EDF Energy's internal rate of return "down to between 7.6% and 7.8%".
Financing
The construction cost was given by EDF as £16billion in 2012, updated to £18billion in 2015, and to between £19.6billion and £20.3billion in July 2017. The European Commission has previously estimated £24.5billion, including financing costs during construction. Financing for the project will be provided "by the mainly rench
The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau (Baden (Land), Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is ...
state-owned EDF EDF may refer to:
Organisations
* Eclaireurs de France, a French Scouting association
* Education for Development Foundation, a Thai charity
* Électricité de France, a French energy company
** EDF Energy, their British subsidiary
** EDF Luminus, ...
nd Chinesestate-owned CGN will pay £6billion for one third of it". EDF 'might sell another 15% stake in the project'. In September 2015, George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born Gideon Oliver Osborne; 23 May 1971) is a former British politician and newspaper editor who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 and as First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016 in the ...
announced a further £2billion UK government guarantee for financing of the project. In May 2016, a senior official at China National Nuclear Corporation
The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; ) is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1955 in Beijing. CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the People's Republic of China. CNNC oversees all aspects of China's c ...
(CNNC) said 'the final proposal is for the Chinese to take a 33.5% stake in the project. But this will be a combination of CGN and CNNC
The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; ) is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1955 in Beijing. CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the People's Republic of China. CNNC oversees all aspects of China's c ...
. We haven't yet decided what percentage we are going to invest'.
In February 2016, Jean Bernard Lévy, EDF Chief Executive, confirmed a 68% drop in net profits and cut in dividend, saying that a final investment decision on the project would follow 'when all this is fully organised'. Also in February 2016, another source said 'the question of the funding is far from being resolved, EDF and the French state would need to sell assets under good conditions and in a short period of time, which seems quite complex at the moment considering EDF's share price'. In March 2016, Thomas Piquemal, EDF's Chief Financial Officer resigned after 'saying the company should wait another three years before making the final investment decision on the project' where Jean Bernard Lévy disagreed 'saying he wanted it to happen as early as next month'. In March 2016, Jean Bernard Lévy wrote to EDF staff that he was in talks to 'obtain commitments from the state to help secure our financial position' and would 'not engage in the inkley Pointproject before these conditions are met'. In March 2016, Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
, the French Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs said that a final investment decision would not be made until May 2016. On 25 April 2016, EDF announced plans to sell €4bn of new shares to 'help it finance the building of the Hinkley Point nuclear plant' with the French government subscribing €3bn of these shares 'as well as taking a scrip dividend option for 2016 and 2017'.
In December 2016, The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
reported that the British loan guarantees require the EPR reactor Flamanville 3
The Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant is located at Flamanville, Manche, France on the Cotentin Peninsula. The power plant houses two pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that produce 1.3 GWe each and came into service in 1986 and 1987, respective ...
to be operational by 2020, that the regulator will rule on the future of the Flamanville reactor mid-2017 and that one possible outcome of this ruling can delay its opening far beyond 2018, thus jeopardizing the British loan guarantees thereby preventing EDF from building the EPRs at Hinkley Point.
In 2020, the French financial markets authority, Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), levied a €5million fine on EDF for misleading investors about the cost of the Hinkley Point C in 2014. EDF had claimed in an October 2014 press release that the UK government agreement was unchanged from 2013, when there had been significant changes to the financing plan, which may have artificially raised EDF's share price. AMF also levied a €50,000 fine on EDF's then CEO.
Specification
EPR
EDF is building two of Areva's EPR reactors, with a design net power output each of 1,600MWe (1,630MWe gross).
Two EPR reactors are currently operating at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant
The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant () is a nuclear power plant in Taishan, Guangdong province, China.
The plant features two operational EPR reactors.
The first unit, Taishan 1, entered commercial service in December 2018, but was shut down from J ...
in China.
Two other EPR units are currently under construction at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant
The Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant ( fi, Olkiluodon ydinvoimalaitos, sv, Olkiluoto kärnkraftverk) is one of Finland's two nuclear power plants, the other being the two-unit VVER Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is owned and operated by ...
in Finland and at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant
The Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant is located at Flamanville, Manche, France on the Cotentin Peninsula. The power plant houses two pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that produce 1.3 GWe each and came into service in 1986 and 1987, respective ...
in France. The HPC design has significant changes from the previous units, with 20% more equipment than the Taishan design. The safeguards buildings have been redesigned. The HPC technical director stated in 2019 "In effect HPC is a first-of-a-kind plant in a country that has not built a new plant for three decades."
In December 2007, the Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in the United States. The UCS membership includes many private citizens in addition to professional scientists. Anne Kapuscinski, Professor of Environmenta ...
referred to the EPR as the only new reactor design under consideration that "...appears to have the potential to be significantly safer and more secure against attack than today's reactors".
EDF and Areva have been facing 'lengthy delays and steep cost overruns' on EPR reactors being built at Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant in France and at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Finland.[James Kanter]
In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble
''The New York Times'', 28 May 2009.[James Kanter]
Is the Nuclear Renaissance Fizzling?
''Green'', 29 May 2009.[Rob Broomby]
Nuclear dawn delayed in Finland
BBC News, 8 July 2009. In October 2013, George Monbiot
George Joshua Richard Monbiot ( ; born 27 January 1963) is a British writer known for his environmental and political activism. He writes a regular column for ''The Guardian'' and is the author of a number of books.
Monbiot grew up in Oxfordsh ...
, a supporter of nuclear power, said that "the clunky third-generation power station chosen for Hinkley C already looks outdated, beside the promise of integral fast reactor
The integral fast reactor (IFR, originally Liquid metal cooled reactor, advanced liquid-metal reactor) is a design for a nuclear reactor using fast neutrons and no neutron moderator (a Fast-neutron reactor, "fast" reactor). IFR would breed more f ...
s and liquid fluoride thorium reactor
The liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR; often pronounced ''lifter'') is a type of molten salt reactor. LFTRs use the thorium fuel cycle with a fluoride-based, molten, liquid salt for fuel. In a typical design, the liquid is pumped between a ...
s. While other power stations are consuming nuclear waste (spent fuel
Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant). It is no longer useful in sustaining a nuclear reaction in an ordinary thermal reactor a ...
), Hinkley will be producing it." In February 2015, France's energy minister said that 'an overhaul of the country's state-controlled nuclear energy industry was imminent'. On 13 June 2016, the Fédération Nationale des Cadres Supérieurs unveiled a series of problems with the EPR design, including that the French nuclear safety authority ( ASN) may not give the green light to the EPR being constructed at Flamanville due to various anomalies, there may be "identical flaws" in the Areva EPR being built at Taishan 1 in China, falsification of parts from Areva's Le Creusot plant that potentially put safety checks at risk, and multibillion-euro litigation between Areva and the Finnish energy group TVO
TVO (stylized as tvo), formerly known as TVOntario, is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It operates flagship station CICA-DT (channel 19) in To ...
over delays to the EPR scheme at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant remains unsettled.
In 2016, EDF Directors Thomas Piquemal and Gérard Magnin separately resigned over their concerns about the risk of the project. However, Chris Bakken, an EDF Project Manager, has said that EDF has full confidence they 'won't repeat the mistakes of the Finnish and French EPRs'.
Comparison with A and B
Criticism and organised opposition
A protest group, Stop Hinkley, was formed to campaign for the closure of Hinkley Point B and oppose any expansion at the Hinkley Point site or elsewhere in the Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
and Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary ( cy, Aber Hafren) is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately , means that it has been at the centre of discussions in t ...
. The group is reportedly concerned that the new generation of power stations will store nuclear waste on site until a permanent repository is found– claiming this is an unknown length of time and, could potentially take decades. The group issued a press release opposing any plans for a new power station on 24 September 2008, when it was announced that EDF had offered to acquire British Energy, the protest group has acknowledged that opposition in the local area is by no means unanimous.
In October 2011, more than 200 protesters blockaded the site. Members of several anti-nuclear
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, natio ...
groups that are part of the Stop New Nuclear alliance barred access to Hinkley Point power station in protest at EDF Energy's plans to renew the site with two new reactors.
In February 2012, about seven protesters set up camp in an abandoned farmhouse on the site of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. They were reportedly angry that "West Somerset Council has given EDF Energy the go-ahead for preparatory work before planning permission has been granted". The group also claimed that a nature reserve is at risk from the proposals.
On 10 March 2012, the first anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster
The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 and ...
, 200 anti-nuclear campaigners formed a symbolic chain around Hinkley Point to voice their opposition to new nuclear power plants, and to call on the coalition government to hold back on its plan for seven other new nuclear plants across the UK. The human chain was planned to continue for 24 hours, with the activists blocking the main Hinkley Point entrance.
On 8 October 2012, the Stop New Nuclear Alliance organised a mass trespass at the site earmarked for Hinkley C. A total of eight people were arrested, mainly for cutting through the wire of the perimeter fence.
A march and rally was held in the nearby town of Bridgwater two days earlier.
In Germany, the renewable energy supplier Elektrizitätswerke Schönau (EWS) lodged a formal complaint on 28 November 2014 (therefore after the October 2014 European Commission approval), on the basis that the project 'breaches Article 107 TFEU by approving distortive state aids'. EWS also launched an online petition, with about 168,000 supporters by June 2015.
In 2015, Nick Timothy
Nicholas James Timothy (born March 1980) is a British political adviser. He served as Joint Downing Street Chief of Staff, alongside Fiona Hill, to Prime Minister Theresa May, until his resignation in the wake of the 2017 general election.
...
, political adviser
Political consulting is a form of consulting that consists primarily of advising and assisting political campaigns. Although the most important role of political consultants is arguably the development and production of mass media (largely tele ...
to Theresa May
Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...
, wrote an article to oppose People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
's involvement in sensitive sectors such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project. He criticised David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
and George Osborne of "selling our national security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...
to China" without rational concerns and "the Government seems intent on ignoring the evidence and presumably the advice of the security and intelligence agencies." He warned that security experts are worried the Chinese could use their role in the programme (designing and constructing nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat from nu ...
) to build weaknesses into computer systems
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...
which allow them to shut down Britain's energy production at will and "...no amount of trade and investment should justify allowing a hostile state easy access to the country's critical national infrastructure."[Why have ministers delayed final approval for Hinkley Point C?](_blank)
, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 29 July 2016[Nick Timothy: The Government is selling our national security to China](_blank)
, Conservative Home
ConservativeHome is a British right-wing blog which supports, but is independent of, the Conservative Party. It was first established by Tim Montgomerie in 2005 with the aim of arguing for a broad conservative spectrum, which is serious about bot ...
, 20 October 2015[Theresa May 'raised objections to project as home secretary'](_blank)
, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 30 July 2016
On 23 June 2017, the National Audit Office published a report on Hinkley Point C. The conclusions were summarised as follows: "The Department has committed electricity consumers and taxpayers to a high cost and risky deal in a changing energy marketplace. Time will tell whether the deal represents value for money, but we cannot say the Department has maximised the chances that it will be." Amyas Morse
Amyas Charles Edward Morse, Baron Morse, (born 28 June 1949) is a British politician and interim chair of the Office for Local Government. Between 2009 and 2019 he was the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office, an indep ...
, head of the National Audit Office, 23 June 2017.
According to one local fisherman, fish stocks in Bridgwater Bay declined for a ten-month period.
On 25 March 2018, ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' reported that: "The UK nuclear regulator has raised concerns with EDF Energy over management failings that it warns could affect safety at the Hinkley Point C power station if left unaddressed".
Concerns have also been raised about one investor, state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group, which has been blacklisted by the United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for bu ...
for attempting to acquire advanced US nuclear technology and material for diversion to military use. As of July 2021, over 100 Chinese engineers were working on Hinkley Point C, utilising their experience of building the first two operating EPR reactors, about 50 of whom were working on site.
Hinkley Point C was an issue in campaigning for the 2017 French presidential election
The 2017 French presidential election was held on 23 April and 7 May 2017. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a runoff was held between the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron of En Marche! (EM) and Marine Le Pen of the Nationa ...
, the first round of which was held in April 2017. Marine Le Pen
Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician who ran for the French presidency in 2012, 2017, and 2022. A member of the National Rally (RN; previously the National Front, FN), she served as its pre ...
's National Front was "fundamentally against" the project while Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
was in support of it.
In 2021 a study found that Hinkley Point C would pump up 120,000 litres of seawater a second from the Severn Estuary, killing an estimated 182 million fish a year.
Timeline
* March 2008, UK (Brown ministry
Gordon Brown formed the Brown ministry after being invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new administration following the resignation of the previous Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, on 27 June 2007. Brown formed his govern ...
) and France (president: Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.
Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
) announce deal to construct new nuclear power stations
* Early enabling construction work commences
* September 2008, EDF buys British Energy
British Energy was the UK's largest electricity generation company by volume, before being taken over by Électricité de France (EDF) in 2009. British Energy operated eight former UK state-owned nuclear power stations and one coal-fired power ...
* May 2009, Centrica
Centrica plc is a British multinational energy and services company with its headquarters in Windsor, Berkshire. Its principal activity is the supply of electricity and gas to consumers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It is the largest su ...
announces joint venture with EDF to build new nuclear power stations in UK
* October 2010, Hinkley Point announced as one of the eight candidates by the British government (Cameron–Clegg coalition
The Cameron–Clegg coalition was formed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg when Cameron was invited by Queen Elizabeth II to form a new administration, following the resignation of Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 11 May 2010, after the gene ...
)
* April 2011, Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency delay assessment of proposed reactor designs due to Fukushima disaster
* October 2011, Application for development consent by NNB Generation Company was submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) was a non-departmental public body responsible for the examining and in certain circumstances the decision making body for proposed nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales. Cre ...
* November 2012, EDF is awarded nuclear site licence
* February 2013, Centrica pulls out of joint venture with EDF
* March 2013, EDF grants development consent order from Department of Energy and Climate Change
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom created on 3 October 2008, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the functions related to energy of the Department for Busin ...
* October 2013, Government and EDF agree on "strike price" of Hinkley Point C
* 8 October 2014, European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
announces that it has approved the Hinkley Point C State aid case.
* September 2015, EDF admits that the project will not complete in 2023, with a further announcement on the final investment decision expected in October 2015.
* 21 September 2015, Government announces £2billion loan guarantee for the project
* 21 October 2015, State-owned China General Nuclear
China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) (), formerly China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (), is a Chinese state-owned energy corporation under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, SASAC of the State Council of the Peo ...
(CGN) agrees in principle to invest £6billion into the project.
* February 2016, EDF again fails to make a final investment decision on proceeding. Financial agreement with CGN yet to be confirmed, and EDF still looking at how it would finance its share of the project.
* 28 July 2016, EDF makes the final investment decision on building Hinkley Point C. On the same day, Theresa May's government announces that it will review the project and 'make its decision in the early autumn' with government sources interpreting this to mean that the project will be approved at that time.
* 31 August 2016, Five staff representatives on the board of EDF file a legal complaint seeking to reverse EDF's decision to go ahead with the Hinkley Point project.
* 15 September 2016, British government (First May ministry
Theresa May formed the first May ministry in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2016, after having been invited by Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II to form a new administration. Then the Home Secretary, May's appointment followed the resignation of ...
) gives the go-ahead for Hinkley Point C following a new deal with EDF.
* 27 March 2017, ONR grants consent for construction of Hinkley Point C to begin.
* 3 July 2017, EDF announces that the total cost of the power station was likely to rise to between £19.6billion and £20.3billion, depending upon the overrun. A government spokeswoman says "the cost of construction, including any overruns, sits with the contractor".
* 25 September 2019, EDF announces that the total cost of the power station was likely to rise by up to £2.9billion and the total bill could be more than £22billion
* 1 June 2020, EDF announces that the reactor base for unit 2 has been completed at a much faster rate than unit 1. This was down to the base being almost identical to unit 1. As a result, the steel was installed 45% faster, the liner cup floor was constructed 30% faster and the cooling system components were installed 50% faster. This is an important milestone for nuclear in the UK as the sister plant, Sizewell C has only put in a development consent order only a few days prior, which is an almost identical copy of Hinkley point C, which EDF hopes will lead to lower costs and faster construction times.
* 14 September 2020, EDF announces that the lift for the 170-tonne liner cup was completed 30% quicker than the identical part on Unit 1, despite restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
1980s PWR proposal
An earlier proposal for a Hinkley Point C power station was made by the Central Electricity Generating Board
The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s.
It was established on 1 Januar ...
(CEGB) in the 1980s for a sister power station to Sizewell B, using the same pressurised water reactor
A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary coolant (water) is ...
design, at a cost of £1.7billion. This proposal obtained planning permission in 1990 following a public enquiry, but was dropped as uneconomic in the early 1990s when the electric power industry was privatised and low interest rate
An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, th ...
government finance was no longer available.
See also
* Moorside clean energy hub
*Energy policy of the United Kingdom
The energy policy of the United Kingdom refers to the United Kingdom's efforts towards reducing energy intensity, reducing energy poverty, and maintaining energy supply reliability. The United Kingdom has had success in this, though energy int ...
*Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
Energy in the United Kingdom came mostly from fossil fuels in 2021. Total World energy supply and consumption, energy consumption in the United Kingdom was 142.0millionTonne of oil equivalent, tonnes of oil equivalent (1,651TWh) in 2019. In 20 ...
* Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
* Proposed nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom
References
External links
*
HPC Development Consent Order Application (Summary). 2011. 32 pages.
{{British nuclear power plants
Power stations in Somerset
Proposed nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom
Nuclear power stations using EPR reactors
Proposed power stations in England
Électricité de France