Coal news and updates

Hinkley: Why do we need the new nuclear power station?

Why is a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point running years behind schedule and the cause of seemingly endless debate? Here are some answers to the questions surrounding the world's most expensive power project.

What is the Hinkley Point project?

Hinkley Point C in Somerset was supposed to be the first of a new batch of nuclear power stations that then prime minister Gordon Brown announced in 2008. The plan was to build two 1,650-megawatt nuclear reactors, with an anticipated life span of 60 years - among the biggest in the world - at the site as part of the UK's energy security strategy.

The £18bn project plans to use new technology that is not yet in use anywhere else and is being built by France's EDF, with some funding from a Chinese government-controlled firm.

The site - already home to the disused Hinkley Point A and the still-operational Hinkley Point B - remains largely undeveloped despite plans for it to be operating by 2017.

Why do we need it?

New nuclear stations such as Hinkley Point would reduce the UK's reliance on imported gas, as North Sea production continues to fall. Gas and coal-fired power stations still produce about half the country's electricity. It's designed to meet 7% of the country's total energy needs.

The UK's existing nuclear plants - such as Hinkley Point B, which was connected to the grid in 1976 - are nearing the end of their working lives. In addition, the UK's remaining coal-fired power plants are expected to close by 2025 to meet new EU air quality rules. That will create a big gap in generating capacity that must be filled if the lights are to stay on.

Source : BBC