LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) – Britain has postponed its decision on whether to build the Sizewell C nuclear power station, an EDF-backed project in Suffolk, England, by several days to give the government more time to review the file.
A decision was expected to be made by July 8, but that deadline has been extended to July 20, the UK executive has announced.
The delay comes amid a political crisis in Britain, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigning on Thursday in the wake of a series of scandals.
In France, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also confirmed on Wednesday that the State was considering renationalizing EDF, which is heavily indebted, in order to allow it to initiate the renewal of the national nuclear fleet in a context of energy crisis in Europe.
The State, which holds 83.9% of the capital of the electrician, has also launched jointly with the group the process of succession of CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy.
“The decision to set a new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision to grant or deny development permission,” Paul Scully, Secretary of State for Small Business and Consumers, said in a statement late Thursday. written to Parliament.
“It’s about making sure there’s enough time for the secretary of state to consider the proposal,” he said.
Britain is aiming for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which will require a huge increase in low-carbon electricity generation, such as wind, solar and nuclear .
If built, the Sizewell C plant could produce 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power around six million homes. (Report Susanna Twidale; French version Diana Mandiá, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)