True or false? A new nuclear power station in the south-west of the UK will be the most expensive object on Earth. That’s the claim about the proposed plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset – but has anything else ever cost so much to build? “Hinkley is set to be the most expensive object on Earth… best guesses say Hinkley could pass £24bn ($35bn),” said the environmental charity Greenpeace last month as it launched a petition against the project. This figure includes an estimate for paying interest on borrowed money, but the financing arrangements for Hinkley C are so opaque that it is impossible to calculate exactly what the final cost will be. Even if you stick with the expense of construction alone, though, the price is still high – the main contractor, EDF, puts it at £18bn ($26bn).
BBC 29th April 2016 read more »
The Force is with a Westcountry college, which has been one of the big winners in plans to build a new nuclear power station in Somerset. Bridgwater College is closely watching events, amid fears that the £18 billion project is close to collapse.
Plymouth Herald 28th April 2016 read more »
Public support for the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset has collapsed, according to research. Support for the project – a joint venture between the French electricity group EDF and Chinese state-owned developers – has fallen from 57 per cent in October 2013 to 33 per cent this month, according to polling conducted on behalf of a pro-nuclear organisation. The poll carried out by YouGov for New Nuclear Watch showed that 50 per cent of Britons believe French companies should not be allowed to build and operate a nuclear power station in the UK while 67 per cent are against the Chinese having a role. The growing level of public hostility to the £18 billion Hinkley project comes amid concern over its cost for UK consumers and a series of delays.
Times 29th April 2016 read more »