Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C

Scientists for Global Responsibility argues against the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, citing unproven EPR technology, high costs, and the precarious financial state of EDF. The letter suggests that energy conservation, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy are more cost-effective and secure alternatives to nuclear baseload power.

• The European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) technology used for Hinkley Point C is described as unproven, with no operational units worldwide and significant delays and cost overruns in Finland and France.
• The financial costs of Hinkley Point C are significantly higher than alternatives; a National Audit Office report warned that the Contracts for Difference (CfD) subsidy could cost consumers up to £29.7bn more over 35 years than originally estimated in 2013.
• The financial stability of EDF is questioned due to a credit rating downgrade by Standard and Poor's, a net debt exceeding 37 billion euros, and commitments to reactor upgrades valued at 100 billion euros.
• The authors argue that the requirement for baseload power is declining and that Hinkley Point C could be replaced by a combination of energy conservation, international interconnectors, storage, and renewables like wind and solar.
• Nuclear power presents ongoing security and environmental risks, including the lack of a long-term solution for high-level waste and the vulnerability of facilities to terrorism.

APA

Webber, P. (2016). Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-prime-minister-hinkley-point-c

Chicago

Webber, Philip. Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2016. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-prime-minister-hinkley-point-c.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Webber |first1=Philip |title=Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=6 September 2016 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-prime-minister-hinkley-point-c |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{webber2016open, author = {Webber, Philip}, title = {{Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C}}, publisher = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-prime-minister-hinkley-point-c}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }