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Nuclear critics condemn government for pushing through Hinkley Point C Nuclear critics condemn decision to give Hinkley Point C project go-ahead
(about 4 hours later)
Nuclear critics are rounding on the government for pushing through the giant Hinkley nuclear project they say had been negotiated in secret, could be unbuildable, is technically flawed and will condemn Britain to centuries of massive, unnecessary costs. Nuclear critics are rounding on proponents of the giant Hinkley project – arguing that it has been negotiated in secret, is technically flawed and possibly unbuildable, and will condemn Britain to centuries of massive, unnecessary costs.
“It beggars belief that this government, which prides itself on pinching the pennies, plans to spend tens of billions on Hinkley Point – the most expensive white elephant in British history. It seems its commitment to inflexible, outdated, unaffordable power production knows no bounds,” said the Green MP Caroline Lucas on Thursday. “It beggars belief that this government, which prides itself on pinching the pennies, plans to spend tens of billions on Hinkley Point – the most expensive white elephant in British history,” said the Green MP Caroline Lucas on Thursday after the EDF board gave it the go-ahead.
“At a total cost to consumers of nearly £30bn, Hinkley now represents appalling value for money. If built, it will force cheaper renewables off the system for much of its subsidised life,” said Paul Ekins, professor of resources at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources. “It seems its commitment to inflexible, outdated, unaffordable power production knows no bounds.”
Greenpeace’s chief scientist, Doug Parr, questioned the competence of French energy firms EDF and Areva to build and implement the project. “This is a one-off project which can barely be afforded and which will lead nowhere. There are serious questions over the competence and capacity of a company to build a project which will have safety liabilities that stretch centuries into the future,” he said. Paul Ekins, professor of resources at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, said: “At a total cost to consumers of nearly £30bn, Hinkley now represents appalling value for money. If built, it will force cheaper renewables off the system for much of its subsidised life.”
Parr said that Hinkley would increase the chances of nuclear proliferation and greatly increase Britain’s high-level nuclear waste. “Over its lifetime Hinkley will produce waste equivalent to 80% of all the waste so far produced in the UK in terms of radioactivity. Protecting, guarding and maintaining this highly dangerous spent fuel on site for up to 200 years will be a massive challenge. The government has no plans for what it will do with it,” he said. Meanwhile, Greenpeace’s chief scientist Doug Parr questioned the competence of French energy firms EDF and Areva to build and implement the project. “This is a one-off project which can barely be afforded and which will lead nowhere,” he said.
“There are serious questions over the competence and capacity of a company to build a project which will have safety liabilities that stretch centuries into the future.”
Parr said that Hinkley would increase the chances of nuclear proliferation and greatly increase Britain’s high-level nuclear waste. “Over its lifetime Hinkley will produce waste equivalent to 80% of all the waste so far produced in the UK in terms of radioactivity,” he added.
“Protecting, guarding and maintaining this highly dangerous spent fuel on site for up to 200 years will be a massive challenge. The government has no plans for what it will do with it.”
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Jonathon Porritt, the former head of the government’s sustainable development commission, said there were serious flaws in a similar reactor being built at Flamanville in France. “There is the increasingly likely possibility that the steel reactor vessel EDF has constructed for the EPR at Flamanville may be so seriously flawed as to require it to be broken out of the reactor building for repairs. This would be an unbelievably expensive and time-consuming process,” he said. Jonathon Porritt, the former head of the government’s sustainable development commission, said there were serious flaws in a similar reactor being built at Flamanville in France. “There is the increasingly likely possibility that the steel reactor vessel EDF has constructed for the EPR at Flamanville may be so seriously flawed as to require it to be broken out of the reactor building for repairs,” he said. “This would be an unbelievably expensive and time-consuming process.”
Legal experts warned that the government would still have to overcome court challenges. Karla Hill, Client Earth’s director of programmes, said: “This deal is less than visionary and centralises the UK’s power production even more when the government should be creating a decentralised energy system for the future. What is more, state support for this project is the subject of two ongoing legal cases.” Legal experts warned that the project would still have to overcome court challenges. Karla Hill, Client Earth’s director of programmes, said the proposed deal with EDF was “less than visionary and centralises the UK’s power production even more when the government should be creating a decentralised energy system for the future. What is more, state support for this project is the subject of two ongoing legal cases.”
“UK taxpayers and electricity consumers will be locked into paying for the coming Hinkley debacle long after the current EDF board and UK government decision-makers are dead and buried,” said Paul Dorfman, a senior researcher at UCL’s Energy Institute. Paul Dorfman, a senior researcher at UCL’s Energy Institute, said: “UK taxpayers and electricity consumers will be locked into paying for the coming Hinkley debacle long after the current EDF board and UK government decision-makers are dead and buried.
“There is no way that Hinkley can deliver power by 2025, which is already eight years later than originally promised. And it is costing many more billions in subsidies than initially thought,” he added. “There is no way that Hinkley can deliver power by 2025, which is already eight years later than originally promised. And it is costing many more billions in subsidies than initially thought.”
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“This deal has been done in secret, with no transparency. It’s a barking mad decision. At a time when renewable costs are tumbling and the costs of EDF’s other projects are soaring, we are tying our hands to a contract that runs far into the future at well over the odds”, said Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth’s head of research and science. Mike Childs, of Friends of the Earth’s head of research and science, said the negotiations had “been done in secret, with no transparency”. He said any deal to go ahead with Hinkley would be “a barking mad decision. At a time when renewable costs are tumbling and the costs of EDF’s other projects are soaring, we are tying our hands to a contract that runs far into the future at well over the odds.”
But many nuclear experts welcomed the decision. “This is excellent news for Britain – and in particular for the UK nuclear industry. Hinkley Point C will be an important element in the UK’s drive to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity to homes and businesses for generations to come,” said Paul Howarth, CEO of the National Nuclear Laboratory. But many nuclear experts welcomed the EDF board’s decision. “This is excellent news for Britain – and in particular for the UK nuclear industry,” said Paul Howarth, CEO of the National Nuclear Laboratory. “Hinkley Point C will be an important element in the UK’s drive to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity to homes and businesses for generations to come.”
“The UK needs to remain committed to reducing CO2 emissions and Hinkley C, if built on time, would provide secure low-carbon energy just when we need it. Although other nuclear projects have been delayed in Europe, this provides the opportunity to show that big infrastructure projects can be delivered in the UK,” said Mark Wenman, a lecturer in nuclear engineering materials at Imperial College London. Mark Wenman, a lecturer in nuclear engineering materials at Imperial College London, said: “The UK needs to remain committed to reducing CO2 emissions and Hinkley C, if built on time, would provide secure low-carbon energy just when we need it.
But other nuclear experts were more cautious and warned of escalating costs. “The amount of subsidy consumers will pay for the project could be many times higher than originally envisaged if low electricity prices continue. Hinkley’s 10-year lead time means that it cannot address some of the more immediate challenges faced by the UK electricity industry,” said Jim Watson, director of the UK Energy Research Centre. “Although other nuclear projects have been delayed in Europe, this provides the opportunity to show that big infrastructure projects can be delivered in the UK.”
And John Radcliffe, an energy researcher at Birmingham Unvisersity, added: “There was simply too much at stake for British and French governments to let this deal unravel. [Government] has done a deal here which future billpayers, not taxpayers, will cover.” Other nuclear experts were more cautious and warned of escalating costs. “The amount of subsidy consumers will pay for the project could be many times higher than originally envisaged if low electricity prices continue,” said Jim Watson, director of the UK Energy Research Centre. “Hinkley’s 10-year lead time means that it cannot address some of the more immediate challenges faced by the UK electricity industry.”
John Radcliffe, an energy researcher at the University of Birmingham, said EDF’s decision came as no surprise. “There was simply too much at stake for British and French governments to let this deal unravel.”