Go-ahead for multinational investment in the UK’s first 21st century nuclear power plant

28 July 2016, update 19:20

EDF have announced the go-ahead for Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power plant that will generate 7% of the UK’s electricity, avoid 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year and create over 25,000 new employment opportunities.

World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising said;

"Hinkley Point C sets the UK on a course for a new generation of nuclear power plants that will be the foundation of a reliable low carbon electricity generation mix fit for the 21st century."

Hinkley Point C is the first of a series of new build projects that will bring multinational nuclear energy expertise to the UK. Plans involving many reactor vendors are projected to bring more than 15 GWe of new nuclear build to the UK in the 2020s.

The UK’s Climate Change Act commits it to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 1990. Similar action is needed worldwide to tackle climate change effectively, requiring decarbonisation of electricity generation globally by 2050, as well as meeting the growing demand for electricity as countries seek to achieve the benefits of development. These objectives can be achieved through a greater use of nuclear generation alongside other low carbon generation. World Nuclear Association has proposed the Harmony target for nuclear generation to supply 25% of the world’s electricity by 2050, which will require the construction of 1000 GWe of new nuclear capacity. The number of reactors under construction worldwide is at a 25-year high, with ten reactors starting up in 2015, and the nuclear industry has the potential to further step up to deliver the Harmony objectives.

Agneta Rising said;

"We need to encourage international investment and ensure electricity markets support the energy choices that will meet the growing need for electricity worldwide and protect the planet."


Media Contacts

Jonathan Cobb: +44(0)20 7451 1536
David Hess: +44(0)20 7451 1543

press@world-nuclear.org



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