22 Oct 2013 00:00
French energy firm EDF and its Chinese partners, who are
building the generator, are guaranteed an income of £80billion
from the project
Cam he fix it? No he can't Cam he fix it? No he can't
PA
Taxpayers will underwrite the Hinkley Point nuclear generator
to the tune of up to £1billion a year – with no guarantee of lower
power bills.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey also failed to say how many people
would get work from the construction of the £16billion plant in
Somerset, visited yesterday by David Cameron.
But French energy firm EDF and its Chinese partners, who are
building the generator, are guaranteed an income of £80billion
from the project.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change calculated
that with new nuclear power bills could be £77 a year lower by
2030 than they would otherwise be.
But when quizzed about that figure, Mr Davy said: “There’s a
huge amount of uncertainty here.”
He also came under pressure to explain why taxpayers were
subsidising the cost of Hinkley Point.
The Government has agreed a “strike price” – the amount it will
pay for energy from the plant – of £92.50 per megawatt hour,
which is double the current cost for electricity.
This price will be linked to inflation and remain in place for 35
years after the station opens in 2023.
Energy expert Dr Paul Dorfman said: “It is essentially a subsidy of
between £800million to £1billion a year that the UK taxpayer
and energy consumer will be putting into the pockets of Chinese
and French corporations.”
Source:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nuclear-costs-blow-taxpayers-underwrite-2478134
