U.K. OKs grid line to planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant

An artist's rendering of the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant
An artist's rendering of the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant | Courtesy of Gov.UK

EDF said recently that the U.K. government has approved a grid connection for the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset, England.

This authorization sanctions a connection line between the proposed plant and the electrical grid, allowing EDF to supply over 5 million homes with low-carbon electricity when the plant is built.

A Reuters article said Hinkley Point C is expected to begin operations in 2025 and will cost approximately $25.59 billion to complete.

The EDF website said that over the course of the construction process and eventual operation, approximately 25,000 positions will become available, and the plant will have approximately 1,000 apprenticeships. The company said 60 percent of the construction value will remain with U.K. companies. The Hinkley Plant expects to support approximately 900 full-time positions during its operational period.

Reuters said the new facility is expected to have a generational capacity of approximately 3.2 gigawatts of electricity.