Hinkley Point bill hits £20bn ... and may go even higher

THE bill for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point has soared to almost £20billion – and could rise further.

Energy giant EDF, the project’s main backer, said the expected cost of the scheme in Somerset has now increased by £1.5billion to £19.6billion.

The French, state-controlled firm also warned that the building project could be delayed for up to 15 months.

This would cost a further £700million, and result in Hinkley Point C not delivering power to the national grid until 2027 – a decade later than first proposed.

It comes less than a fortnight after the government spending watchdog called the plans ‘expensive and risky’. The National Audit Office also said that the nuclear reactor chosen for the site was ‘unproven’ – raising safety questions.

EDF stressed that it hopes to avoid delays and is still aiming to finish the first nuclear reactor by the end of 2025.

Following a review, the firm – which is funding two-thirds of the plant, with China covering the rest – said that the extra costs partly resulted from changes to meet the demands of UK regulators.

It insisted that the increased costs would have no financial impact on consumers. A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also said households ‘won’t pay a penny’ until the power station is built.