The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has called on the government to scrap the Hinkley Point C nuclear deal as French energy giant EDF are expected to say it will finance the deal later today.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“We call on the government to scrap the Hinkley Point C nuclear deal. The new power plant will saddle future generations with an astronomical environmental and economic debt.
“It’s hugely expensive. The National Audit Office says the government will have to subsidise this nuclear power station to the tune of £30 billion over the next 25 years. That’s a £30 billion payment to the French state in addition to the market rate paid for electricity by consumers.
“Nuclear power is dangerous. During normal operation cancer clusters have been observed by scientists around power stations. There is the risk of nuclear accidents and disasters like Fukishima, and there is still no safe way to store nuclear waste. Tackling nuclear waste ultimately falls to national governments at huge expense.
“There is also the opportunity cost of this decision. Rather than spending billions subsidising the French state’s energy industry, the government should be investing in renewable energy here in the United Kingdom. The cost of renewable energy is plummeting because of fast developing technology in the energy sector. It’s good for the environment, it’s good for the economy and jobs. Renewables are the future.
“The government needs to admit it’s got this decision wrong. We demand that the Hinkley Point deal is scrapped and the plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants are stopped.”
