British taxpayers bankroll French nuclear giant while Hinkley Point C quietly receives 500-tonne reactor heart

British taxpayers bankroll French nuclear giant while Hinkley Point C

quietly receives 500-tonne reactor heart. Hinkley Point C represents the
biggest bet Britain has made on its energy future in decades. When the deal
was struck in 2016, it looked like smart planning. Today, with energy
prices through the roof and household budgets stretched thin, it feels more
like an expensive gamble with other people’s money. The reactor pressure
vessel now crossing the English Channel is the beating heart of what will
become Britain’s newest nuclear power station. Built by Framatome,
France’s state-owned nuclear champion, this steel colossus will sit at
the center of two European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) designed to generate
enough electricity for six million homes. “This vessel represents the
pinnacle of nuclear engineering,” explains Dr. James Crawford, a nuclear
physicist at Imperial College London. “But the question isn’t whether
it’s impressive technology—it’s whether British taxpayers should be
funding French state enterprises while struggling with their own energy
costs.” The numbers behind Hinkley Point C make for uncomfortable
reading. The project has ballooned from an initial estimate of £18 billion
to potentially over £35 billion. Meanwhile, British households are locked
into paying a guaranteed “strike price” of £92.50 per megawatt-hour
for the electricity it produces, inflation-adjusted over 35 years.

 Secom 13th Feb 2026 

 https://secom.es/hinkley-point-c-receives-500-tonne-reactor-heart-british-taxpayers-bankroll/