The French government on Sunday slammed as "unacceptable" delays and cost overruns at nuclear power plant projects undertaken by state utility firm EDF, including Britain's controversial Hinkley Point.

Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said an independent audit would be launched and warned that France's nuclear industry could not be a "state within a state".

Electricite de France (EDF) had said last week that costs for Hinkley Point C were now estimated at 21.5-22.5 billion pounds ($26.8-28.1 billion), a rise of 1.9-2.9 billion pounds over previous estimates.

A similar EPR third generation nuclear power plant project in Olkiluoto in Finland is now 10 years behind the initial schedule, as is the Flamanville project in western France.

"The government issued warnings several months ago," Le Maire told LCI and RTL TV, saying the independent audit would be delivered on October 31.

"All this drifting is unacceptable. It is not up to the level of what EDF represents and the French expertise in the sector."

"I can understand that there could be a technical issue or a realisation problem. But when the delays accumulate you need to look at it independently and draw the conclusions," he said, warning of "consequences at all levels".

The novel European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) system aims to improve safety and efficiency. The French government owns a majority 83.7 percent stake in EDF.

EDF is part of a French-Chinese consortium awarded the two-reactor Hinkley Point project in 2016 despite criticism from green groups and cost warnings from experts.

It is supposed to provide seven percent of Britain's total power needs, according to the government. It is scheduled to start producing electricity in 2025 and has a projected operational lifetime of 60 years.

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More cost overruns, delays for UK nuclear project: EDF
Paris (AFP) Sept 25, 2019
Britain's controversial Hinkley Point nuclear power plant project faces substantial fresh cost overruns and further delay, France's EDF power giant said Wednesday. The company, part of a French-Chinese consortium awarded the two-reactor project in 2016 despite criticism from green groups and cost warnings from experts, warned that costs were "now estimated at between 21.5 and 22.5 billion pounds (24.4-25.5 billion euros/$26.8-28.1 billion)." That equates to a rise of between 1.9 and 2.9 billion ... read more