The UK government last week announced a series of measures that could finally see the country's first nuclear new-build in decades, Hinkley Point in southwestern England, get the investment go-ahead. While the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) is still in talks with French developer EDF over the "strike price," or guaranteed minimum price, for Hinkley's electricity output, the Treasury Department said the scheme will be eligible for a multibil-lion-dollar loan guarantee (WGI Jun.5'13). The decision to underwrite up to ￡10 billion ($15.2 billion) of the project costs would make it easier and cheaper for the French state firm to raise the necessary finance for two reactors whose price tag could exceed ￡14 billion.
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