President Xi Jinping to seal Hinkley Point nuclear power deal in UK

The plant could be opened by 2025 at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, with China likely to cover about 30% of the cost.

President Xi Jinping is meeting Prime Minister David Cameron later, on the second day of his UK state visit.

More than £30bn worth of deals between the UK and China are expected to be struck during the four-day 

visit.

The plant will be built by French energy firm EDF, in conjunction with a consortium led by Chinese state-owned nuclear company CGN.

Two other nuclear power stations, at Sizewell in Suffolk, and Bradwell in Essex, could follow as part of the deal with China. The plant at Bradwell would be Chinese-designed, providing China with its first Western showcase for its nuclear technology.

 

Last month, Chancellor George Osborne visited China and secured the deal under which Beijing will invest in Hinkley Point.

Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editor, said: "In brute pounds and pence, it will be the largest inward investment ever in the UK.

"Such is the significance of the agreement, it will be left to the leaders of Britain and China to announce the partnership."

'Security concerns'

The Hinkley Point project has come under fire over its cost and the delays to investment decisions and the timetable for building.

The original plan was for Hinkley Point to start generating electricity by 2023.

The government has also been criticised for guaranteeing a price of £92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity - more than twice the current cost - for the electricity Hinkley produces.

That could mean higher bills for consumers, critics such as Greenpeace say.