YP Letters: Costly nuclear plant scheme makes no sense
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.
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Hide AdWhat 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.
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Hide AdSerious 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?