24 Feb (NucNet): EDF chief executive officer Jean-Bernard Levy expects the French utility to take a final investment decision on the Hinkley Point C nuclear project in the UK this year, according to Reuters. “We are working with our Chinese partners to complete the discussion that we are having and announce a final investment decision very soon,” Mr Levy was quoted as telling a Brussels conference on energy yesterday. Asked whether “very soon” meant this year, Mr Levy said “if in my thinking very soon did not mean this year, I would be disingenuous”. EDF is planning to build two Areva 1,600-megawatt EPR units at Hinkley Point. In October EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation signed an investment agreement for the new reactors. At the time EDF said construction at Hinkley – the first nuclear plant to be built in the UK in a generation – was expected to begin “within weeks”. But last month reports in French media said the final investment decision had been delayed, reportedly due to funding difficulties. Les Echos said EDF was struggling to find the cash for its 66.5 percent stake and was now “putting pressure on the [French] state, which owns 84.5 percent of EDF, to come up with fresh funds”.
