EDF staff in last-ditch attempt to derail Hinkley Point
Unions members at EDF launched a last ditch attempt to derail plans to build a nuclear power plant in Britain, amid fears over whether the French utility giant's balance sheet can stomach the £18bn project.
It comes as EDF board members prepare to consider the final investment decision for Hinkley Point C at a meeting on Thursday.
EDF works council secretary, Jean-Luc Magnaval, told Reuters that it had filed a complaint with a Paris court, and a hearing on the case is due to take place 2 August.
"We demand a suspension of the decision," Magnaval said.
EDF previously said that the FID would be taken in September, after pushing it back while the firm consulted with unions, a process which ended on 4 July.
The firm’s chief financial officer, Thomas Piquemal, quit earlier this year due to concerns over the affordability of Hinkley.
The UK must replace about 20 per cent of its ageing nuclear and coal power plants during the next 10 years, and Hinkley Point will be integral to keeping the lights on.
The project will power six million homes for about 60 years, however its come under fire over its value for money for the tax payer.