“Britain can meet its future energy commitments without Hinkley Point C”

A major windfarm company boss has said that Hinkley Point C is not the only new energy option.

Chief Executive of Dong Energy, Henrik Poulsen, the biggest offshore windfarm developer in Britain, has said that the country can meet its future energy commitments without the £18Bn Hinkley Point C nuclear project.

In replacement of the largely-debated Hinkley Point C, which has cost significantly more than originally estimated, Mr Poulsen said wind turbines could be built on time and on budget, giving the UK a reliable source of power if combined with output from new biomass or gas-fired plants.

He said: “Could you build a national energy policy without nuclear? Yes you could … and if you needed to fill a (energy capacity) gap offshore, wind could be accelerated to fill such a gap.”

“We hope offshore wind will remain a key component in the future energy system and are optimistic about prospects under the new government.”

Following the recent Brexit vote, Poulsen said he still feels confident in his £5.1Bn investment programme in the UK, which involves constructing three more windfarms on top of the eight already operating.

One major project under development, Hornsea Project One, will see 170 turbines erected in a 400 square mile area of the North sea, off the coast of Yorkshire, making it the largest offshore farm in the world. The farm will produce 1.2GW of power – enough for 800,000 homes – when it opens in 2020. Talks are underway of a second and third phase being built, which could double to overall capacity.

Britain has a total of more than 5GW of offshore wind capacity plus almost 9GW of onshore wind but new projects are coming on stream all the time. The new proposed Hinkley reactors would provide 3.2GW.

Following multiple delays on the decision for Hinkley Point C, the scheme was finally given the go ahead last week by EDF, however an unexpected decision from the government to review the project was announced. The project will now be reviewed by the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, and her ministers.

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