EDF, China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGNPC) and the British government have signed final contracts for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset (United Kingdom), ending the project’s development phase and paving the way for new nuclear construction in the UK and Europe.
EDF and its partners are now fully dedicated to the successful construction of the Hinkley Point C project which is already well advanced. The EPR reactor design is approved by the UK regulator. The Hinkley Point C project will consist of two 1,630 MW Areva EPR reactors, expected to be commissioned in 2025 at the earliest (construction starting in 2019). Total investment is estimated at £18bn (€21.5bn), with CGNPC investing £6bn (€8.1bn). In September 2015, the UK approved a £2bn (€2.4bn) loan guarantee for the project. EDF will own 66.5% in the project, in partnership with Chinese companies China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which will take over a 33.5% stake in the project.
CGNPC now expects to get governmental approval for a new China-led nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom within five years. The company is developing a nuclear project in Bradwell-on-Sea in south-east England and plans to submit materials for the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) soon after signing the final contract for Hinkley Point C.
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