Britain to build 1st nuke plant in 20 years
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Britain yesterday agreed on the construction of its first nuclear plant in 20 years to a consortium of state-backed French and Chinese firms, underlining its controversial commitment to nuclear power.
The government has signed a 16-billion-pound (US$26 billion) deal with French energy giant EDF to build two reactors at Hinkley Point C, southwestern England.
Also involved in the contract are French group Areva — the world’s leading nuclear power company — and Chinese nuclear firms China General Nuclear Corp and China National Nuclear Corp.
Britain has placed nuclear at the heart of its low-carbon energy policy in stark contrast to Europe’s biggest economy Germany, which has vowed to phase out nuclear power in the wake of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster.
The British deal could meanwhile potentially push domestic energy prices up even higher according to experts, and risks stoking a political row over soaring living costs in Britain.
The project is aimed at providing Britain with secure and reliable low-carbon electricity, and will create thousands of jobs.
“Today we have a deal for the first nuclear power station in a generation to be built in Britain,” said Prime Minister David Cameron, who heads a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.
“This also marks the next generation of nuclear power in Britain, which has an important part to play in contributing to our future energy needs and our longer-term security of supply.”
EDF Group will have a 45-50 percent stake, while CGN and CNNC will together take a 30-40 percent stake.
Areva will take a 10 percent interest in the project.
The French president hailed the agreement as a “historic investment,” after a telephone conversation between Francois Hollande and Cameron.
A statement from the Elysee Palace said both leaders “welcomed the success of talks between EDF and British authorities on the project to build two... nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point.”
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