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EDF eyes £6bn UK nuclear sale to fund Hinkley: reports

French electricity giant EDF is considering a partial sale of its eight UK nuclear reactors in order to help fund its £18 billion investment in the Hinkley Point C new nuclear project, according to reports in the French media.

Daily newspaper Les Echos reported on Wednesday that EDF has outlined £6 billion of divestment in its 2016 budget which could come from the sale of a 29 per cent stake in EDF Energy. EDF would then maintain a slim majority stake alongside Centrica which holds 20 per cent of EDF’s nuclear fleet if the plans go ahead.

The newspaper report cited unnamed sources and said that EDF declined to comment.

The report also suggested that the French state-owned firm may opt to sell half of its transmission business unit RTE or stake in US nuclear firm CENG, but that no decision has been taken.

The sale of UK nuclear assets has been investigated by the company but the process has not been launched, the newspaper added.