EDF has announced that the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset will be delayed by a further year, with costs rising by £3bn. The revised operating date for the first unit is now June 2027, and total project costs are estimated to be between £25bn and £26bn.
The French energy giant attributed the delays primarily to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Safety measures reduced the workforce on site from over 5,000 to around 1,500, resulting in the loss of more than half a million critical work days in 2020 and 2021. Stuart Crooks, managing director of Hinkley Point C, noted that supply chain disruptions also contributed, with 180 suppliers fully shut down in April 2020 and over 60 still operating with reduced productivity as late as February 2021.
Mr Crooks stated that the start date for Unit 1 has slipped by 18 months since construction began in 2016, with Covid-19 accounting for more than 12 months of that delay. He added that other factors, including UK-wide supply and labour shortages and inflation, have also affected the schedule and costs.
A government spokesman confirmed that the revised forecast will have no impact on British billpayers or taxpayers, as any cost increases are borne entirely by the developers. The spokesman emphasised the government's commitment to new nuclear power as essential for the UK's energy security, noting that Hinkley Point C has created and supported over 22,000 jobs across the country.
