EDF Seeks Planning for Hinkley Point C Nuclear Plant

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- Planning permission is being sought to build the first nuclear power plant in the U.K. in more than 20 years.

EDF Energy, the U.K. arm of French energy giant Electricite de France (EPA:EDF) (Paris), confirmed that it has submitted its 30,000-page application for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which oversees all applications for projects in excess of 50 megawatts (MW).

EDF plans to build two new nuclear plants using the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR), with two reactors at Hinkley Point C and another two at Sizewell C. Hinkley Point C will have a combined generating capacity of 3,300 MW, compared to the 1,320 MW produced by the older reactors still operating at Hinkley Point B.

In August, the company received the go ahead for preparatory work to start at the Hinkley Point C site from West Somerset District Council. It followed that up by applying for the licences needed to build, commission, operate and decommission a nuclear power station. For additional information, see August 2, 2011, article - EDF Starts Bid to Build Hinkley Point C Nuclear Plant.

A final investment decision (FiD) will be made by the end of the year and site preparations are slated to begin next Spring.

"Hinkley Point C -- it is a project that will be delivered by everyone playing their part," Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive at EDF Energy told the Nuclear Development Forum. "That is particularly true in this phase, leading first to our Final Investment Decision and second to the start of main construction. I will not give a firm and final completion date at this stage. At the moment of the FID I expect to be able to do so."

De Rivaz admitted that the events at Fukushima impacted on EDF's nuclear timetable, but said the delays were never a danger to pushing ahead with building new nuclear power plants in the U.K..

"An adjusted timetable has never meant a suspended timetable," de Rivaz claimed. "It needs to be said, very clearly, that there is good news: the project continues. It is on track. The next steps are clear: We will still begin site preparation in spring. We have applied for the Nuclear Site Licence, which deals with the site-specific issues. Soon the IPC will begin its assessment of our application. It will be a massive task - to assess the first new nuclear project in order to deliver authorisation in one year."

"The ONR has a big role to play in this and we need to continue to be engaged with them and them with us, with appropriate resources. Soon the IPC will begin its assessment of our application. It will be a massive task - to assess the first new nuclear project in order to deliver authorisation in one year."

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