Hinkley Point C power station building contract delayed

The Energy Minister says a decision on whether to approve the plans will be made by March next year

An announcement on who will build a new nuclear power station in Somerset has been delayed.

EDF Energy was due to announce this week the winner of the main contract, worth more than £1bn, to build Hinkley Point C but that will now not happen.

Anti-nuclear energy protesters have claimed it puts a question mark over the whole project.

An EDF spokesman said the company was "on track to deliver what is needed for the UK".

Crispin Aubrey, from the Stop Hinkley group, said the delay could be for up to a year.

He said: "The cost of the project has risen to £14bn, that's a 40% increase on what it was a couple of years ago, and other companies looking at the economics, like the German companies RW and E.On, have already pulled out of plans to build one at Oldbury up the coast.

"So other people are saying 'let's forget it', EDF are now having to look at their own books and may well come to the decision 'let's forget about it' as well."

'On track'

EDF Energy said it did not comment on active tenders.

"However, we can say that we expect to be able to make an announcement to take forward this particular contract soon," the spokesman said.

"The procurement process is on track, and has always assumed that certain contracts would be signed once we make our final investment decision. This has not changed.

"To date contracts worth a total in excess of £750m have been let to over 370 companies."

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Lord Marland has told the House of Lords a decision on whether or not to approve the plans for Hinkley Point C will be made by March next year.