In a report outlining the company’s plans to support the UK’s 2050 net zero ambitions, France’s state-owned utility said its focus in power generation is on new nuclear and renewables. It said these are the most proven and cost-effective forms of producing electricity with zero emissions at the point of generation.
“With economic recovery from Covid-19 in mind, our Hinkley Point C project in Somerset provides a vivid illustration of the huge economic benefits that new nuclear investment brings,” EDF said. “Recent figures show the project has spent £1.7bn with more than 1,100 companies across the southwest, and more than 10,000 jobs have been created.”
EDF Energy, the UK arm of EDF, is building two Generation III 1,600-MW EPR units at Hinkley Point C. The units are expected to meet 7% of UK demand. Work onsite has been underway since a final agreement on the project was signed in September 2016 by EDF, China’s CGN and the UK government.
In September 2019 EDF raised its estimate of the cost of completing Hinkley Point C to between £21.5bn and £22.5bn, an increase of £1.9bn to £2.9bn compared to previous estimates.
EDF also said it intends to push ahead with plans for Sizewell C, replicating the benefits of Hinkley in the east of England. In May, EDF submitted an application to build two new EPR units at Sizewell C.
Sizewell C would be north of its sister plant Sizewell B on the Suffolk coast. EDF estimates the two Sizewell C units would take 10 to 12 years to build once it has planning permission.