Vincent de Rivaz, who spearheaded the development of the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, is to step down as EDF’s chief executive in Britain later this year. The 63-year-old is to leave at the end of October and be replaced by Simone Rossi, head of the French energy giant’s international division, EDF said yesterday, giving no reason for his departure. Mr de Rivaz has been chief executive of EDF Energy, the group’s UK division, since 2003 and led its predecessor, the London Electricity Group, from 2002. EDF Energy’s operations include its business as one of Britain’s “big six” household suppliers, as well as its existing nuclear power plants and some coal and gas-fired power stations. However, Mr de Rivaz’s career has been defined by his decade-long campaign to build a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. The £18 billion plant finally received the go-ahead from the government in September despite fierce criticism of its high costs, long construction timescale and reliance on Chinese state nuclear companies. The project was also highly divisive within EDF, prompting the resignation of its group chief financial officer and forcing it to carry out fundraising. Mr de Rivaz was long haunted by his 2007 forecast that Britons would be cooking their Christmas turkeys on nuclear power from Hinkley Point C by 2017. The plant is now not expected to come on line until 2025. The Frenchman cut a divisive figure in the energy industry, frequently infuriating MPs with long and evasive answers during select committee appearances.
Times 13th June 2017 read more »
Telegraph 12th June 2017 read more »