A think tank in Britain that studies energy issues said Thursday that the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project is not a necessity for the country.
“Proponents of Hinkley argue that it is absolutely necessary for solving the energy trilemma – ensuring security of supply and reducing carbon emissions while keeping bills under control,” the Energy And Climate Intelligence Unit said in its executive summary of the report. “But how true is this?”
“Our conclusion,” the group said, “is that Hinkley is not essential for solving the trilemma.” It went on to list alternatives, citing “four big offshore wind farms (additional to those we will build, anyway), or building three additional interconnecting cables,” that it claims could generate an equal amount of electricity as the twin-reactor plant proposed by Electricite de France (EDF) and supported with by Chinese counterparts – China General Nuclear – who have agreed to take a 33.5 percent stake in the project.
The group further claims Britain could substiture two-fifths of Hinkley Point C's projected output “by cutting waste – using electricity more efficiently and productively.”
Further substitutions could include a mix and match of alternatives, including gas-fired generators that would only be used “at peak times … through demand-side response.”
The group also says alternatives would produce cheaper electricity. “Replacing all of Hinkley electricity with additional offshore wind farms would cut the average household bill,” by up to about $25 per year.
The timing of the report could be devastating to the project for which newly appointed Prime Minister Theresa May at the last minute pulled away from signing contracts. Just after French utility EDF's board agreed to fund the project, Britain pulled back from signing the deal with May claiming a further review of the deal was required.