EDF, the French utility company, has once again postponed the start date for the Hinkley Point C reactor plant in the UK, now aiming for at least 2029. The project’s latest estimated cost ranges between £31 billion and £34 billion, based on 2015 values. Initially projected to power British homes in 2017, the project has faced multiple delays and cost revisions, with the most recent update anticipating operations to commence in June 2027 with an estimated cost of £25-£26 billion. EDF attributes the new delay to electro-mechanical work and shifts in productivity goals after the dome installation in December.
This delay follows the UK government’s recent plans to expedite new nuclear projects by implementing a timeframe requiring investment decisions every five years from 2030 to 2044. The government also expressed interest in exploring the potential of another large-scale nuclear plant, aiming to increase the country’s nuclear energy capacity to 24 GW by mid-century, up from the current 6 GW.
Sizewell C, another planned 3.2-GW plant in southeast England, is yet to receive a final investment decision (FID), with the government announcing an additional £1.3 billion investment in the project on Monday.
