Why have costs gone up at Hinkley Point C?

By Joey Gardiner2019-10-09T05:00:00

The latest cost overrun in the construction of nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset, and fears of a delay in commissioning, have led to questions being asked about the viability of this and future projects.

Yes folks, it’s Groundhog Day. Weary observers of the international nuclear industry could have been forgiven for feeling an uncanny déjà vu at the late September announcement by French power giant EDF of a near £3bn cost overrun on its two huge under-construction reactors at Hinkley Point, Somerset.

Why? Each of EDF’s four attempts at building similarly designed reactors have been delayed and over-budget, with its plants in Finland and France not yet operational more than a decade after work on each began. This project has a similar history: when EDF first started promoting this scheme in 2008, the government priced it at around £4bn, for completion by 2017. After last month’s announcement, the price tag is up to £22.5bn.

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