Hinkley Point C, the nuclear power station won’t be opening until June 2027 and could cost £3 billion more than it was planned at the beginning because of the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Two years and £3 billion more than in 2018:
The new nuclear station built at Hinkley Point will start opening later than planned and cost more. The French EDF company claimed that this cost of 3 billion more is due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it will not have impact on British consumers and taxpayers.
All those consequences are due to a reduction of workers on the site of Somerset because of the respect of pandemic safety measures. It creates a delay of more than a million days of work in 2020 and in 2021, claimed EDF.
French EPR technology: difficulties to impose itself
Because of this delay, the first reactor unit will start its activities only in June 2027. It is 2 years later than it was planned in 2018. But it’s not a lot if we compare it to its French equivalent in Flamanville which will start its activities eleven years later than expected, and twelve in Finland for the new French EPR technology.
With all those delays, the French nuclear technology has huge difficulties to impose itself in the nuclear business.
Liens utiles:
Leparisien: EDF Nouveau retard et un coût qui flambe pour les réacteurs d’Hinkley Point
Plymouthherald: Hinkley Point C won’t open
Theguardian: Hinkley Point C nuclear power station EDF delayed covid costs rise
