黑洞社区

Construction industry leaders have said they are 鈥渇labbergasted鈥� and 鈥渄isappointed鈥� over the government鈥檚 shock decision to review its subsidy deal for Hinkley Point C.

The government announced there would be a review to 鈥渃onsider carefully all the component parts鈥� of the 拢18bn nuclear power plant, to report in 鈥渆arly autumn鈥�.

It comes after board members at EDF voted 10 to 7 in favour of approving funding for the project at a board meeting in Paris yesterday evening. Legally binding contracts had been expected to be signed today.

Mace chief operating officer Jason Millett said delays to Hinkley and Heathrow threatened 鈥減ushing the construction sector into a recession of the government鈥檚 own making.鈥�

Another source working on the project described the latest delay as 鈥渁nother kick in the bollocks.鈥�

A supplier who previously worked on Hinkley told 黑洞社区 the constant delays meant they have turned their attentions elsewhere: 鈥淲e鈥檝e taken our eye off Hinkley 鈥� we turned our attention to the other nuclear power plants 鈥� Wylfa, Sellafield 鈥� about six months ago now. For those the planning work is going ahead.鈥�

Constant prevarication by government鈥� is pushing the construction sector into a recession of the government鈥檚 own making.

Jason Millett, Mace chief operating officer

Another well-placed source close to EDF and the project told 黑洞社区 they were 鈥渇labbergasted鈥� the government decided to review the scheme.

The source said: 鈥淚鈥檓 shocked, flabbergasted in fact. The government should鈥檝e been more on the ball and more aware of the details of the project.

鈥淚鈥檝e heard Theresa May is not particularly comfortable with the Chinese investment, but [EDF] really do need the Chinese money [in Hinkley].鈥�

The source said they were still confident the project would go ahead, as long as there was no change to the agreed strike price: 鈥淭he investment case for Hinkley was made mostly on that strike price. Without that [agreed price], I don鈥檛 know if the project will continue.鈥�

Another source who has dozens of their workers at the site, and had planned to send dozens more, told 黑洞社区 the government鈥檚 review was 鈥渞eally bloody frustrating鈥�, adding: 鈥淎bandoning the biggest construction job in Europe? It鈥檚 another kick in the bollocks. If they cancelled it, it would be disappointing.鈥�

However, the source believed Hinkley will 鈥渃ontinue at the moment鈥� and that they were still 鈥渂uilding our team up鈥� for the project, insisting EDF is 鈥渘ot going to stop the work鈥� on site.

Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, said the government鈥檚 decision showed it had a 鈥渓ack of coherent policy鈥� in terms of energy.