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France’s ruling Socialist Party has called for a freeze on work towards the construction of Hinkley Point C.
The project should not continue until “all questions and reservations” have been addressed, it said in a statement.
The party noted the continued controversy over the new nuclear plant in Somerset, particularly over the huge £18 billion price tag for construction which led EDF’s chief financial officer, Thomas Piquemal, to quit in March.
It said June’s Brexit vote also has implications for the project: “Clearly, all relations with Britain, both political and economic, should be reviewed in the light of its exit from the European Union. Hinkley is no exception.
“The Socialist Party believes that a project whose importance is such that it concerns the strength and sustainability of the national energy company, requires the lifting of all questions and reservations before going further in its realization,” the statement concluded. It said the French state, as “the majority shareholder with 83 per cent of EDF”, should make “every efforts towards this end”.
At the end of July, the British government decided to delay its final decision until autumn whilst it holds a review of the project. The announcement came just hours after EDF’s board voted to give it the go-ahead.
Several of the French unions representing workers at EDF have claimed the decision was “null and void” on the basis that the management of the company had been aware of the British government’s intention to review the project, but hadn’t informed the board. EDF has denied the allegation.
The unions in question have made repeated calls for the project to be delayed, partly because of concerns over the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) design which is planned for Hinkley.
There are currently no operational EPRs anywhere in the world and the reactors being built in France, Finland and China have been plagued by manufacturing faults, cost overruns and delays. The unions say construction on Hinkley should not start until at least one of them is up and running.
Earlier this week the Chinese ambassador to the UK warned the British government that backing out of the project could jeopardise the wider relationship between two countries.
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