UK to Build Its First Nuclear Plant Called Hinkley Point C in Two Decades

The Government of UK on 21 October 2013 announced that it decided to build the first nuclear plant of UK (called Hinkley Point C (HPC) power plant) in over two decades time along with a French energy firm EDF, and two Chinese companies. The nuclear plant will be established at south-west England and it will be the first one in Western Europe ever since the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan.

EDF along with two other Chinese partners- CGN and CNNC signed the deal in order to invest 16 billion Pounds in the nuclear plant- Hinkley Point C (HPC) power plant. This nuclear plant will meet approximately 7 percent of the energy needs of UK in the long term.

It is important to note that while the Britain will establish its first nuclear plant, Germany, on the other hand, is set up for decommissioning all the nuclear power plants by the year 2022. Chatham House, the international body, in the meanwhile, revealed that the nuclear contribution to electricity across the world dropped down from 17 percent in 1990s to 10 percent at present.

There is also an involvement of the Government subsidy, which means that the deal will have to get a nod from the European Commission.