The Scottish National Party has this week raised financial concerns over the future of the Hinkley Point C project near Burnham-On-Sea.
The comments came on Monday (June 15th) after EDF Energy, the company behind the project, suffered a five-year delay and escalating costs at its flagship project in northern France.
SNP spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change Callum McCaig MP says that Hinkley C could be eligible for consumer-funded payments of around £1 billion per year – totalling around £35billion over the 35-year length of the contract, compared to the 15-year contracts being offered to renewable energy projects.
Mr McCaig said at an event on Monday: “The financial crisis surrounding the future of the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant demonstrates yet again the folly of the UK government’s decision to spend huge amounts of public money to subsidise new nuclear power stations.”
“Despite the mounting evidence that it is hugely expensive with other stations going vastly over budget and being years behind schedule, the UK government are determined to continue to throw billions of pounds into promoting new nuclear.”
“By diverting money away from renewables to new nuclear the UK Government’s plans are also damaging the renewables sector.”
“Hinkley is a bad deal that will push up bills and cost the taxpayers a fortune for many, many years to come. Scotland neither needs not wants new nuclear. We have huge potential in renewables that can generate clean green energy for the future.”
