YP Letters: Costly nuclear plant scheme makes no sense

The Hinkley Point C nuclear plant should be scrapped, says Green Party campaigner Martin Deane.

IDEALLY, we want the Hinkley C nuclear power deal scrapped (The Yorkshire Post, July 30).

Despite increasingly dubious technical and economic grounds, the Tory government continues to push the £18bn deal. It gives white elephants a bad name.

What aspect of the deal makes any sense? EDF has a financial hole from a current plant – Flamanville – where construction costs are three times what was promised and now six years overdue.

The whole deal is a huge gamble. There’s not one planned EPR-type reactor working anywhere in the world.

Now when the costs of renewables are rapidly falling, it’s reckless for the Government to subsidise the nuclear industry. Paying a price for electricity twice the current market price is effectively a subsidy by the back door to the tune of £17.6bn.

Instead of locking Britain into this costly and risky technology, the Government should be investing more in energy efficiency and renewables.

Serious safety issues remain about nuclear and there is still no safe, reliable way to deal with the toxic waste it creates – as EDF also knows to its cost. Mind you, after Brexit, at least the Government doesn’t have to worry about those pesky Euro competition rules. Or does it?