Amber Rudd, the Energy Secretary, has said that the UK taxpayer will not be liable if Hinckley Point C is cancelled. If EDF ( Environmental Defense Fund ) does withdraw their support, the question is being asked: “who will foot the bill?” Costs in Finland and France have escalated, and the same could happen in the UK.
Once the electricity is produced, there is still the waste to deal with so who will pay for that as it is not going to be cheap. There could be hundreds of tonnes of spent nuclear fuel to deal with.
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The idea that the public purse would not be used is not possible, and the comments made by the Energy Secretary are not helpful. It has been suggested that the new builds should be cancelled now before money is wasted and the local community is left to pick up the pieces. This is the opinion of the Chairperson of Together Against Sizewell C, Pete Wilkinson.
Despite the remarks from Amber Rudd claiming that new nuclear is the only way to have continual power, she is accused of being misleading. Woody biomass is at present being used as the clean alternative to burning coal at the Drax station. Real Ventures are planning to build two new biomass plants. One will be in Hull and the other in Immingham. They will be heat and power plants, and building will begin as soon as there is government funding provided according to CEO Ray Tucker.
It is hoped Amber Rudd will see sense and turn to various types of power.
Story Via; The Guardian / Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images