For a brief moment last month, it looked like the Somerset coast was destined to become the home of the most expensive object in the world — Hinkley Point nuclear plant. But after a last minute intervention by Prime Minister Theresa May, the government’s nuclear ambitions were suddenly put on hold. In the run up to the decision, Hinkley was almost unanimously condemned by the British press. So in case you missed it at the time, here’s a quick look at what’s been said.
Greenpeace 22nd Aug 2016 read more »
“Absolute chaos” is how the British Shadow Energy Secretary, Barry Gardener, has described the Conservative government’s handling of what may be the UK’s first nuclear power plant in 20 years. On July 28, the day the Hinkley Point C project was due to receive its final approval, Theresa May’s new cabinet instead revealed the proposal was under review. Hinkley Point C (HPC) was first envisioned in the mid-2000s as part of Tony Blair’s ‘nuclear renaissance’. Ignoring the protests of his own cabinet, the then-Prime Minister wholeheartedly endorsed a new generation of nuclear power stations in the hopes of providing Britain with long-term low-carbon power. Marketed by its owner, EDF Energy, as the solution to Britain’s looming energy crisis, the ill-fated Hinkley project has promised so much, yet seems set to deliver very little. Early ambitions for the venture now seem unlikely, while its ever-mounting costs are hard to ignore. The construction bill alone now stands at £18bn ($23.5bn) – triple its original £6bn ($7.8bn) price tag.
The New Economy 22nd Aug 2016 read more »