French energy managers believe power plant decision should be delayed until EDF and reactor disputes are settled
Senior managers at a major French union have written to the chair of the UK energy select committee calling for EDF鈥檚 Hinkley Point C nuclear plant to be postponed.
The F茅d茅ration Nationale des Cadres Sup茅rieurs de l鈥櫭塶ergie (FNCS) 鈥� translated as the National Federation of Senior Energy Executives 鈥� union said a final investment decision on the 拢18bn nuclear plant in Somerset should be delayed until 鈥渂etter upfront industrial visibility is evidenced鈥�.
In a letter addressed to the chair of the committee, MP Angus MacNeil, the union鈥檚 president Norbert Tangy said senior EDF managers remained convinced a final decision should be pushed back until EDF has solved a slew of problems - including a 鈥渕ultibillion鈥� euro litigation.
Managers said litigation between Areva NP 鈥� the designer of the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) to be used at Hinkley 鈥� and Finnish engineering, procurement and construction contractor TVO on EDF鈥檚 Olkiluoto nuclear plant in Finland 鈥渃ould not be settled through amicable agreement as expected鈥�. They said the 鈥渕atter remains open鈥� and shows no sign of being resolved soon. Other issues highlighted mainly revolve around the EPR reactor to be used at Hinkley Point C.
In spring 2017, an EPR reactor being built at EDF鈥檚 nuclear power plant in Flamanville, in Normandy, France, is up for its final clearance by the French nuclear safety authority ASN. But the executives have warned that the safety authority may not give the go-ahead as they claim the top and bottom of the reactor vessel do not comply with regulations.
They said there is 鈥渘o certainty that the EPR technology could be commissioned soon鈥� and claimed a second reactor at the EDF plant in China - Taishan - could be the first EPR reactor in the world to be commissioned. Taishan 2 is expected to be operational in late 2017.
Construction on the new reactor at Flamanville began in 2007 and was expected to be up and running by 2012 - this has now been delayed until the fourth quarter of 2018.
EDF declined to comment but, last month, the firm鈥檚 chief executive Vincent de Rivaz told a House of Commons select committee that some French unions were trying to postpone the Hinkley project by up to three years. De Rivaz added: 鈥淥ur position is that there is no need for a delay because the project is ready. No project has been better prepared than Hinkley Point C.鈥�
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