The boss of EDF says he expects the company will make a final investment decision on Hinkley Point C near Burnham-On-Sea by the end of this year.
CEO Jean-Bernard Levy said at a conference in Brussels on Tuesday: “We are working actively today with our Chinese partners to complete the discussion that we are having and announce a final investment decision very soon.”
When he was asked whether “very soon” meant this year, he responded: “If in my thinking very soon did not mean this year, I would be disingenuous.”
Last week, Levy said he expected EDF would pour its first concrete for Hinkley Point in 2019 and that the potential exit of Britain from the European Union would not change the plan.
The £18bn project was first announced in October 2013 and EDF announced a partnership for it with Chinese utility company CGN in October last year, but EDF’s investment decision has been delayed several times.
During recent months concerns have grown in France that the company may struggle to meet the costs of building the plant given its financial pposition.
