HINKLEY PROJECT POWERS AHEAD

CGN plays crucial role in construction of the UK’s massive new nuclear plant

Construction work at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant is continuing around the clock in a high-profile example of international cooperation between the United Kingdom, France and China.

More than 1,900 workers are involved in the building project on the Bristol Channel coastline of Somerset, a county in Southwest England.

The bustling site is a sign that the UK is on track to secure its future energy security, despite French utility company Electricite de France SA, or EDF, announcing in July of potential risks of delay and budget overruns.

China General Nuclear Power Corp, or CGN, is investing 6 billion pounds ($7.74 billion) into Hinkley, which will cost 18 billion pounds.

“Already a number of CGN people have joined us on the Hinkley project,” said Richard Mayson, a senior director at EDF. “That cross-fertilization of ideas is invaluable.”

The deal between CGN and EDF was signed in October 2015 during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK. It received formal approval by the UK government in September 2016.

Hinkley Point C’s lead investor EDF and its Chinese partners remain confident about the project.

They worked together on China’s Taishan nuclear power station in Guangdong province, using the same EPR technology or third generation pressurized water reactor design.

Developed by the French group, EPR technology attracted concerns when its implementation at Flamanville, in France, and Olkiluto, in Finland, was plagued by delays and budget overruns.

But construction of the Taishan project is expected to be completed next year. It will be the world’s first nuclear power station using EPR.

“CGN has built a large number of stations in China,” Mayson said. “That ability to build to time and scale is very important to make sure Hinkley is built in the most efficient way.”

It will be the first new nuclear plant to be constructed in the UK since the 1990s and will supply 7 percent of the country’s electricity when completed in 2025.

It will also be a central part of Britain’s efforts to replace and phase out aging power stations.

Overall capacity in the UK has fallen by 12 percent since 2012 as coal-fired power plants are gradually shut down to comply with the government’s commitments to Richard Mayson, tackle climate change.

In addition to its significance as a pioneering project, Hinkley is a landmark for China’s nuclear industry.

The role that CGN is playing in the project “is not a handsoff investor”, said Mayson. Its contribution also includes technical and program implementation, he added.

EDF and CGN are also collaborating on the Bradwell B nuclear plant, a planned project in Essex, which is close to London.

CGN is the majority investor and will use Hua-long Pressurized Reactor 1000, known as HPR1000, which is third-generation technology.

“Our partnership with EDF is a win-win collaboration,” said Zheng Dongshan, chief executive officer of General Nuclear International, the London-based subsidiary of CGN. “We support them financially and technically at Hinkley, and they will help us to implement HPR1000 at Bradwell.”

Tim Yeo, former chairman of the House of Commons energy and climate change committee, stressed that the government’s approval of Hinkley showed its strong commitment to nuclear energy and that it welcomed Chinese investment.

UK That (CGN’s) ability to build to time and scale is very important to make sure Hinkley is built in the most efficient way.” director at EDF a senior