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| France gives go ahead to Hinkley Point, French minister says | France gives go ahead to Hinkley Point, French minister says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| France will go ahead with construction of the £18bn Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain and will begin agreeing technical details in the coming weeks, the French economy minister has said. | France will go ahead with construction of the £18bn Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain and will begin agreeing technical details in the coming weeks, the French economy minister has said. |
| Emmanuel Macron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We back Hinkley Point project, it’s very important for France, it’s very important for the nuclear sector and [state-owned utility company] EDF. | Emmanuel Macron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We back Hinkley Point project, it’s very important for France, it’s very important for the nuclear sector and [state-owned utility company] EDF. |
| “Now we have to finalise the work, and especially the technical and industrial work, very closely with EDF, with the British government, to be in a situation to sign in the coming week or month.” | “Now we have to finalise the work, and especially the technical and industrial work, very closely with EDF, with the British government, to be in a situation to sign in the coming week or month.” |
| Pressed on whether he thought the deal would go ahead, Macron added: “That’s my view, and that’s our perspective, because I think it’s very important for our commitment to nuclear energy.” | Pressed on whether he thought the deal would go ahead, Macron added: “That’s my view, and that’s our perspective, because I think it’s very important for our commitment to nuclear energy.” |
| Related: Britain ‘killed’ in trade talks if it left EU, says French minister | Related: Britain ‘killed’ in trade talks if it left EU, says French minister |
| Earlier this month, the French energy minister, Ségolène Royal, said that a postponement of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project was still under discussion. | Earlier this month, the French energy minister, Ségolène Royal, said that a postponement of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project was still under discussion. |
| Macron’s views also appeared at odds with the message that EDF unions took after meeting him last week, when he reportedly said he had not yet decided whether to go ahead with the nuclear plant and that a final investment decision would be taken by early May. | |
| The project was announced in October 2013 but a final investment decision has been delayed as EDF struggles to find partners and financing. Chinese utility CGN signed up for a one-third stake last October, leaving EDF to fund the rest. | |