Hinkley costs estimate to rise by £1.5 billion says EDF
3 Jul 2017
Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant faces a substantial overrun on work and costs have risen by a further £1.5 billion, the project’s lead partner has admitted.
EDF Energy, the French company which has a 66% control of the scheme, disclosed that revised estimates suggest £1.5 billion more will need to be spent and could add almost one and a half years in delays.
The news follows publication of a critical report from the National Audit Office that cited the overall cost to consumers will reach £30 billion – five times the original estimate. The actual delivery cost of the project is now put at £19.6 billion.
In a statement EDF said the revised estimates were the result of a better understanding of regulator requirements and the volume of work involved.
It is predicted that the scheme will produce 3.2 billion watts of electricity, power six million homes and create more than 25,000 jobs. However, the NAO said the Government had shown little evidence of the claimed strategic benefits.
EDF’s partner is the China General Nuclear Power Group.
