Hinkley Point C nuclear power station

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station (HPC)
A 3D model of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station
CountryEngland, United Kingdom
LocationHinkley Point, Somerset, South West England
Coordinates51°12′21″N 3°08′34″W / 51.2059°N 3.1429°W / 51.2059; -3.1429
StatusUnder construction
Construction beganMarch 2017
Commission date2030
Construction cost£35 billion in 2015 prices (c. £48 billion in 2026 prices)
Owner
EDF Energy(74.9%)
China General Nuclear Power Group(25.1%)
OperatorNNB Generation Company
Employees6,300 on-site construction workers
Nuclear power station
Reactor typePWR - EPR
Reactor supplierFramatome
Cooling sourceSea water from Severn Estuary
Thermal capacity2 × 4,524 MWt (planned)
Power generation
Make and modelEPR-1750
Units planned2 × 1,630 MWe
Nameplate capacity3,260 MWe (planned)
External links
Websitehttps://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station (HPC) is a two-unit, 3,200 MWe EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England.

Hinkley was one of eight possible sites announced by the British government in 2010, and in November 2012 a nuclear site licence was granted.

In July 2016, the EDF board approved the project, and in September 2016 the UK government approved the project with some safeguards for the investment. The project is financed by EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). The final cost was to be £18 billion in 2015 prices.

When construction began in March 2017 completion was expected in 2025. Since then the project has been subject to several delays, including some caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Brexit, and this has resulted in significant budget overruns. As of 2026, Unit 1 of the station is projected to come online in 2030, while the overall project cost is estimated at £35 billion in 2015 prices (c. £48 billion in 2026 prices), almost double the estimated cost when the project was approved.