Matt Ridley: Hinkley Point C ‘is no nuclear option for the UK and its technology is untested and obsolete’ Its cost is outrageous, its delays are obscene and the project must be cancelled so that the UK can start fracking.
The Sun 1st Sept 2016 read more »
Hinkley C set to be on the agenda as Prime Minister heads to China this weekend. The Hangzhou summit will be the new PM’s first opportunity for face-to-face talks with China’s leaders since she angered Beijing by delaying a final decision on the Chinese-backed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. In an article for the state-run China Daily, China’s ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming urged Britain to “continue to be pragmatic and stay open to Chinese businesses” after the Brexit vote. Mr Liu made no direct reference to Hinkley, but said “a number of steps need to be taken in order to maintain the momentum in the relationship” between London and Beijing. A decision is expected in the autumn amid speculation that Mrs May is concerned about the involvement of Chinese state-owned CGN in the project and any further agreement for China to build reactors in Bradwell, Essex.
Bridgwater Mercury 2nd Sept 2016 read more »
Theresa May is expected to come under pressure from China at the G20 summit over her decision to review the proposed Hinkley nuclear plant, after the issue was raised by Beijing in a meeting with the British energy minister. The new British prime minister will have her first face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping, the Chinese premier, at the summit on Sunday or Monday, amid continuing tensions over Hinkley Point in Somerset. May angered Beijing by deciding in July that approval of the French- and Chinese-backed £18bn nuclear plant would be delayed, apparently as a result of security concerns over Chinese involvement. The Chinese government has been publicly making its clear it wants the project to go ahead, but May and her ministers have stuck to the position that the government is “considering all the component parts of the project before making its decision in the early autumn”.
Guardian 1st Sept 2016 read more »
Great news. Thanks to donations from more than 4,000 people, today we’ve run an ad in The Times to expose just how unpopular Hinkley nuclear plant is. The ad features quotes from The Economist, HSBC and other influential voices — all of whom are united in opposition to the troubled nuclear plant. Take a look at the photo above to see the ad, or scroll down to read the quotes in full. A HUGE thank you to everyone who chipped to get the advert printed.
Greenpeace 31st Aug 2016 read more »
The 900 direct permanent jobs which could be created at Hinkley Point C would cost electricity consumers an extra £800,000 per job per year compared to jobs in renewables in terms of increased costs of electricity. Renewable energy is a far better job-creator than nuclear, and already employs three times more people, according to Dr Ian Fairlie writing on The Ecologist website. The Trade Unions currently calling for Hinkley Point C to go-ahead should instead give their support to renewables which could become an even greater jobs provider than they are already especially if we seize the opportunities quickly and develop a global export trade in key renewable energy technologies.
Blue & Green Tomorrow 31st Aug 2016 read more »
With Labour trying to face several ways at once it looks more like chaos as the front bench tries to please everybody and fails to satisfy anybody at the same time. Jeremy Corbyn is quoted (quite rightly in my view) as saying that ‘Tories have just put up the cost of your electricity by giving a blank cheque to EDF for a power station that doesn’t work’ On the other hand, Labour’s energy spokesperson Barry Gardiner is said to be in favour of the Hinkley C power station but at a lower cost to the consumer.
Dave Toke’s Blog 1st Sept 2016 read more »
THE long-running saga over a planned new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has taken a fresh twist after French union officials started legal action against a decision by energy giant EDF to go ahead with the project. Five directors of EDF, representing workers, started proceedings in Paris aimed at annulment of the group’s investment in the £18 billion scheme. EDF’s board voted last month to press ahead with building the power station in Somerset, but the UK government made a shock announcement that it wanted time to study the already-delayed scheme.
Somerset County Gazette 1st Sept 2016 read more »