Hinkley Point C
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Hinkley Point C An Opportunity to Power the Future February 2013 “I want to see new nuclear come forward as part of our future energy mix and for the UK to be a leading global destination for investment in new build.” Rt Hon Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Construction News, 19 June 2012 Visualisations of completed development are illustrative, and subject to planning approval. Contents Our energy future Contents Introduction 03 First in class 04 Creating excellence through people and technology 10 Underpinning success 16 Realising local benefits 22 Bringing long-term rewards for Britain and France 26 Conclusion 30 01 About EDF EDF is the world’s leading nuclear power utility and one of Europe’s largest energy companies with 38 million customers across Europe and 156,000 employees worldwide. Globally, the company generated 628 tera watt hours of electricity in 2011 alone. The Group’s activities include generation, supply and other energy services. EDF Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of EDF Energy is the UK’s largest producer of EDF Group, employing around 15,000 people across low-carbon electricity, and produces around the UK. We benefit from the financial strength one-fifth of the country’s electricity from its nuclear of a large European group, as well as combined power stations, wind farms, coal and gas power procurement capabilities, pan-European dealings for stations and combined heat and power plants. major customers, international expertise and access The company supplies gas and electricity to more to significant R&D resources. Ultimately, these all than 5.5 million business and residential customer add to our reputation for stability and reliability. accounts and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain. EDF operates 58 nuclear reactors in France, with another under construction at Flamanville – the EDF Energy operates 15 nuclear reactors at first EPRTM power station in France. In addition, sites across the UK and has published plans EDF is part of a joint venture with China Guangdong to build four more, two at Hinkley Point in Nuclear Power Corporation that is building two Somerset and two at Sizewell in Suffolk, EPRTM reactors at Taishan in China. subject to the right investment framework. Hinkley Point C Explained Hinkley Point C could mark a significant moment in the revitalisation of the UK’s nuclear power industry. Should a positive investment decision be made, EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C will be the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK. Capable of generating 3,260MW, it will sit alongside an operating nuclear power station, and one being decommissioned, on the northern Somerset coast in the south-west of England. The main power station development The Hinkley Point C project also includes some will include: associated developments in the surrounding area. • Two UK EPRTM nuclear reactor units The main associated developments are an • Two turbine halls accommodation campus next to the main site and two accommodation campuses in Bridgwater for • Cooling water infrastructure construction workers; four park and ride facilities • Fuel and waste management facilities to transport workers by bus to the Hinkley Point C including storage development site; a temporary jetty and refurbished • Electricity transmission infrastructure wharf to deliver as much heavy equipment and • Service and ancillary buildings material as possible by sea to reduce pressure on • A sea wall roads; a bypass to the west of the nearby village of • A public information centre Cannington and a series of highway improvement • Landscaping for the construction land schemes across the local road network. 02 Introduction Our energy future The United Kingdom is facing a critical time in its energy future. With the Government forecasting a power-generation gap on the horizon, ensuring sufficient supply of secure, low-carbon, affordable electricity to power Britain’s homes and businesses is a major challenge. By 2025 over 40% of the UK’s older power Hinkley Point C will bring many other benefits stations are expected to close. These planned too. It is a huge investment project – comparable closures come at a time when demand for in scale to the London 2012 Olympic and electricity is expected to rise and Britain’s own Paralympic Games – and it will create large- resources of known oil and gas in the North Sea scale employment in UK manufacturing and are declining. Major investments are therefore construction. It can position the UK as a global required to deliver a diverse energy mix. leader in new nuclear energy, a prospect that is already inspiring a new generation of EDF Energy believes that replacing this lost UK scientists and engineers. It will have a generating capacity with reliable new low- transformational effect on the economy carbon sources is vital if Britain is to secure of Somerset. its energy future and meet its climate change commitment to reduce emissions by at least The time is right. The Coalition Government 80% by 2050. and Labour Party have recognised the need for nuclear as part of the future low-carbon According to the Committee on Climate energy mix. In polling conducted by ComRes Change, nuclear has the potential to deliver for EDF Energy in 2012, 83% of MPs polled around 40% of the UK generation mix by 2030. supported the construction of a new generation The new nuclear power station we propose to of nuclear power stations. Support for new build at Hinkley Point in Somerset is designed nuclear from the public is also strong. Nuclear to be a part of this solution. can be part of a long-term solution to meeting Hinkley Point C, based on tried and tested the UK’s low-carbon energy needs. Pressurised Water Reactor technology, will be the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for more than 20 years. It will have the capacity to generate safe, reliable, low-carbon “Nuclear is a long-term guarantee electricity, enough to power 5 million homes for its anticipated lifespan of 60 years, which is that the UK can have the low- equivalent to 1,500 billion units (kWh)*. carbon energy it needs. Join us in backing Hinkley Point C and help * Hinkley Point C would have a capacity of 3260 MW, with at least a 90% load factor. Over 25 TWh per annum would therefore to secure Britain’s energy future.” be produced. 1 TWh = 1 billion kWh. 25 TWh/annum x 60 years = 1500 billion kWh. Vincent de Rivaz CBE, Chief Executive Officer, EDF Energy 03 With 40% of GB generating assets expected to close by 2025, large amounts of new capacity are required… The EDF Energy London Eye Existing and under construction generation plant in Great Britain 90 Increasing need 80 for new capacity Peak demand + 20% margin 70 Peak demand4 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Notes: 1. The date when new build large scale baseload generation is required depends on the rate of closure of existing plant. 2. This chart shows a forecast of total installed capacity of power plants in Great Britain as of 05/07/12, based on EDF Energy analysis. Chart excludes interconnection, currently 3.8 GW, due to uncertain availability during peak times. Assumes 7-yr average lifetime extension for nuclear. 3. Wind installed capacities have been de-rated at 10% to reflect wind’s limited ability to provide capacity at peak times. 4. Peak demand based on Redpoint Energy analysis for DECC as part of the UK Government’s Electricity Market Reform Technical Update, Dec 2011. 5. A 20% capacity margin is added to cope with extremes of weather and plant unavailability. “We don’t want to delay, without reason, the important progress we need to make on new nuclear power in our country.” Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Opposition, Hansard, 28 March 2011 “This is a key moment on the path towards nuclear new build and I welcome it wholeheartedly. I am confident [it] will go from strength to strength in 2013.” John Hayes MP, Energy Minister, Comment on the Generic Design Assessment, 13 December 2012 04 First in class First in class Keeping the lights on – Britain by night 05 First in class First in class EDF Energy is playing a leading role in helping Britain meet its energy challenge. Hinkley Point C in Somerset would be the first new nuclear station built by a publicly listed company in the UK. It is the first nuclear project in which EDF has been the lead client outside of France. The jigsaw pieces of the nuclear new build project The European policy context have been pulled together with many firsts The EPRTM design is one of the first two reactor achieved along the way, to the point where designs to pass the “justification” test prior to we are now ‘shovel-ready’. construction. This is a requirement of European law on basic safety standards. The decision justifying use Policy framework of the technology was passed overwhelmingly in a UK parliamentary vote in October 2010. The UK policy context In July 2012 the European Commission confirmed The Government and Opposition have backed new that the project meets the requirements of the nuclear power stations to help Britain meet its long- Euratom Treaty for a new nuclear power station. term CO2-reduction targets affordably and provide The Commission was satisfied that plans for disposal a secure supply of electricity. of radioactive waste will not have any impact on NIA polling show that the majority of the public other Member States, as required by Article 37 of agrees that Britain needs a mix of energy sources the Treaty.