The party, which has traditionally been pro-nuclear, said in a statement on its website that the utility’s decision to go ahead with the 18 billion pound ($23 billion) project was a cause for concern.

“The Socialist Party believes that a project that is so important that it could jeopardize the solidity and survival of the national energy company requires that all doubts and hesitations be cleared up before the project continues,” the party said.

It added that it was convinced that the state would do all it can to achieve this aim.

A deeply divided EDF board approved the Hinkley Point project with a narrow 10-7 majority on July 28. Hours later, the British government – which had been expected to sign the contracts the next day – said it needed more time to consider the project and would decide in the autumn.

EDF’s unions are all against the project and the company’s finance director and one of its board members have resigned over it.”

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) features twice in a government list of 33 projects and companies deemed eligible to compete for a share in up to £250m to develop so-called small modular reactors (SMR).

Why have ministers delayed final approval for Hinkley Point C?

The involvement of a different Chinese company in the high-profile Hinkley Point C project in Somerset was widely believed to have prompted the government’s decision to pause the deal at the 11th hour last month.
”
Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s co-chief of staff, has previously expressed alarm at the prospect of CNNC having such close access to the UK’s energy infrastructure because it would give the state-owned firm the potential ability to build weaknesses into computer systems.

The company was formerly China’s Ministry of Nuclear Industry and developed the country’s atomic bomb and nuclear submarines, as well as being a key player in its nuclear power industry.

In an article on the ConservativeHome website, Timothy singled out CNNC’s military links as a reason the UK government should be wary of such involvement.

“For those who believe that such an eventuality [shutting down UK energy at will] is unlikely, the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation – one of the state-owned companies involved in the plans for the British nuclear plants – says on its website that it is responsible not just for ‘increasing the value of state assets and developing the society’ but the ‘building of national defence’,” he wrote.

Tom Burke, chairman of the environment thinktank E3G and a former British government adviser, said there were legitimate concerns over the company. “I don’t fuss very much about the Chinese owning a nuclear power station [China General Nuclear in the case of Hinkley]. But I would be much more concerned about bringing in CNNC because they are known to be much more closely involved with the military and Chinese nuclear weapons programmes,” he said.

EDF’s board narrowly approved the $24 billion project on July 28. But hours later the government of new British Prime Minister Theresa May, which had been expected to sign contracts the following day, instead said it wanted to give the plans further consideration.

The UK government postponed its final decision on the project until early autumn.

In comments to reporters at French state-controlled EDF’s first-half earnings release on July 29, Levy had said he had not been aware at the time of the board meeting that the British government wanted more time to review the contract.

In a letter emailed to EDF’s executive committee late on Tuesday this week, and reviewed by Reuters, Levy said that when he called the board meeting on July 21, he had done so with the go-ahead of the French state, which “had warned us that in light of her very recent arrival, the new British prime minister had asked for ‘a few days’ before deciding on the project”.

Levy said that late on July 27, the night before the board meeting, he was informed that May wanted “a bit more time, without calling into question the project, and without specifying the date when the contract could be signed”.

He added that EDF canceled a contract signing ceremony planned for July 29.

“When the board voted, on the afternoon of July 28, we (management) therefore knew that the ceremony would not take place the next day,” Levy wrote.

EDF declined to comment on Levy’s letter.

‘I doubt there is anyone outside EDF who would support this project the way it is structured,’ said an executive at another energy firm.

Much criticised is the guaranteed minimum price of £92.50 per megawatt hour, which the Government agreed consumers must pay EDF for the electricity generated by the new reactors at the Somerset site.

That is far higher than the wholesale price of electricity, which this weekend was £37 per megawatt hour. As long as the wholesale cost of energy is lower than this so-called ‘strike price’ consumers will make up the difference with higher bills.

Another energy source said: ‘Look at the burden on our own customers that Hinkley Point results in. We are going to get the blame for that. ‘Inside the industry we’ve stopped referring to it as Hinkley Point. We all call it What’s The Point?

‘We’re thinking of getting together and sending Vincent a turkey – just to make sure he gets the message.’

According to a damning report compiled by the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, “advanced persistent threat” (APT) hackers compromised 12 agency work stations and 10 servers in three separate cases in between October 2010 and April 2013.

The hacks, alongside a number of internal security breaches involving past staffers, were never declared to law enforcement or the US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT), the authority that manages cyberattack responses in the US, the probe claims.

What’s worse, evidence from a number of FDIC whistle-blowers indicates the agency actively worked to cover up breaches impacting high-level officials – including the former chairman, chief of staff and general counsel, whose computers were all reportedly targeted. …”

French firm EDF, which is financing most of the £18bn Hinkley Point project in Somerset, approved the funding at a board meeting.

Contracts were to be signed on Friday.

But Business Secretary Greg Clark has said the government will “consider carefully” before backing it.

According to reports, EDF’s chief executive Vincent de Rivaz has cancelled a trip to the UK on Friday following Mr Clark’s comments.

Critics of the plan have warned of environmental damage and potential escalating costs.

They are also concerned that the plant is being built by foreign governments. One third of the £18bn cost is being provided by Chinese investors.

EDF still hopes to have more than 2,500 workers on site by next year.
Announcing the approval of investment earlier, EDF described the plant as “a unique asset for French and British industries”, saying it would benefit the nuclear sectors in both countries and would give a boost to employment. …”