Unions call for Hinkley Point decision
1 Jul 2016
Trade unions in the UK have urged EDF Energy to make a "timely" final investment decision over the construction of Hinkley Point nuclear power station.
Gaining confirmation of the financial go-ahead for Hinkley Point would be “the first big litmus test” that much-needed infrastructure projects would proceed following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, said GMB, Unite, Ucatt, and Prospect in a letter to EDF chief executive Vincent de Rivaz.
The decision to get on and build Hinkley Point C must be made now, without further delay
Justin Bowden, national secretary for trade union GMB
EDF Energy and a number of French unions are expected to complete consultations over Hinkley Point on Monday 4 July.
Justin Bowden, national secretary for trade union GMB, said "The decision to get on and build Hinkley Point C must be made now, without further delay.
Once completed, the £18 billion nuclear project will generate 7% of the UK’s electricity demand. However, because of delays, the start date for electricity generation has been put back to 2025.
“From an energy perspective, the UK needs the electricity. We are rapidly losing capacity and this process will continue as the UK coal stations and nuclear stations reach the end of their operating lives,” the letter added.
"It would be a tragedy, in both France and the UK, if all this work and the extraordinary opportunities it provides were to be lost. The moment to make the decision is upon us and we have a genuine fear that any further delay will lead to the unravelling of all that we have fought so hard achieve."
