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EXCLUSIVE: The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant is “so last century”, when cheaper, faster and cleaner alternatives are plentiful, according to the founder of clean energy company Ecotricity.
“Nuclear power is very expensive,” Dale Vince told Utility Week. “EDF is trying to build three of these… They are decades late and billions over budget between them.
“The idea that anybody would contract them to build another one, and depend on it as well as a nation to bridge our energy gap, is quite foolish.”
He said the power source has a toxic legacy for 10,000 years, which “nobody knows how to deal with” and is “just not talked about”.
“It’s just a bonkers thing to do really, particularly when we have so many clean alternatives which are cheaper, faster, cleaner in wind, solar, tidal, wave, and energy efficiency even.”
He pointed to a study which suggested that £1 billion spent on energy efficiency could cut energy consumption in half. Meanwhile, £18 billion is likely to be spent on the construction of Hinkley.
“There are better things to spend money on, I say,” he said.
Yesterday (15 September), the government gave the green light for Hinkley Point C to be built, but with some new conditions attached.
Business and energy secretary Greg Clark said at the time: “Having thoroughly reviewed the proposal for Hinkley Point C, we will introduce a series of measures to enhance security and will ensure Hinkley cannot change hands without the government’s agreement.
“Consequently, we have decided to proceed with the first new nuclear power station for a generation.
“Britain needs to upgrade its supplies of energy, and we have always been clear that nuclear is an important part of ensuring our future low-carbon energy security.”
Vince said Ecotricity had written to the government, with Greenpeace, the day prior to the announcement to call for a review of the decision to approve that type of reactor.
He said: “We think that circumstances have changed significantly since that approval was given, and there is a mechanism built in to that approval for reconsideration of that. We are calling on the government to trigger it.”
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