France will go ahead with construction of the £18-billion Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain and will begin agreeing technical details in the coming weeks, the French economy minister has said, reports The Guardian.
Emmanuel Macron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We back Hinkley Point project, it’s very important for France, it’s very important for the nuclear sector and [state-owned utility company] EDF."
“Now we have to finalise the work, and especially the technical and industrial work, very closely with EDF, with the British government, to be in a situation to sign in the coming week or month.”
Pressed on whether he thought the deal would go ahead, Macron added: “That’s my view, and that’s our perspective, because I think it’s very important for our commitment to nuclear energy.”
Earlier this month, the French environment and energy minister, Ségolène Royal, said that a postponement of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project was still under discussion.
Macron’s views also appeared at odds with the message that EDF unions took after meeting him last week, when he reportedly said he had not yet decided whether to go ahead with the nuclear plant and that a final investment decision would be taken by early May.