Hinkley Point Contract Signed

The key contract for the new £18bn Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has been signed by the UK government and EDF.

18:55 30 September 2016

The key contract for the development of the UK’s first new nuclear plant in a generation has been signed. The plant will power nearly six million homes. On Thursday, EDF boss Jean-Bernard Levy joined officials from the UK, France and China at the behind-closed-doors ceremony in London.

 

The meeting was the second attempt at finalising the deal after Prime Minister Theresa May said in July that she wanted to scrutinise it.

 

The formal signing was attended by Business Secretary Greg Clark, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, China’s National Energy Administration director, Nur Bekri, and the chairman of Chinese firm CGN, He Yu.

 

Mr Clark said that the contract signing was a “crucial moment” and that Hinkley played “an important part in ensuring our future low-carbon energy security.” Meanwhile, Mr Ayrault said that he was pleased that the UK government decided to push through with the project.

 

The move cements China’s foothold in Britain’s nuclear industry. As part of the contract, the Chinese will be allowed to develop their own reactor technology at Bradwell in Essex, subject to planning and regulatory approvals.