The French government has attempted to calm fears that the UK’s vote to leave the EU will halt plans to build Hinkley Point C nuclear power station near Burnham-On-Sea.
Emmanuel Macron, the French economy minister, said on Tuesday (June 28th) that the vote will have “no consequences” for the £18bn project and he urged EDF Energy to press ahead with its final investment decision.
Speaking at the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris, he said that France has “bilateral treaties and bilateral commitments with Britain” for Hinkley Point that are not affected by the UK’s membership in the EU.
The comments come after fears that the instability caused by the EU referendum may heap more tension on a deal that has already been delayed many times.
One of the EDF unions, CFE Energies, said this week that due to the “political and economic” uncertainty, it was “only common sense” to delay the project. It said EDF should not “rush into the unknown.”
It highlighted the sharp fall in sterling since Friday and said that nobody knew how, following David Cameron’s resignation on Friday, a new British government will feel about the nuclear project. Chancellor George Osborne has been a powerful supporter of nuclear power and an advocate for the project.
