The new nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point will start operating a year later than planned and will cost an extra £3 billion, it has been announced. French energy giant EDF published the findings of a review into the cost and schedule of the power station taking account of the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revised operating date is June 2027 and the budget has increased by £3 billion. EDF said this will have no cost impact on British consumers or taxpayers.
The delay means the first reactor unit will start operating in June 2027, a year later than planned and costs are now estimated in the range of £25bn to £26bn. A reduction in workers allowed on the site in Somerset due to pandemic safety measures resulted in the loss of more than half a million days of critical work in 2020 and 2021, said EDF.
