ON PAPER, nuclear power is a brilliant way to tackle climate change. Yet the reality of this technology, which promises a steady supply of low-carbon power to cope with wind-free days, frequently disappoints, as Michael Brooks reports.
Take the news that the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation may be two years late and cost up to £8 billion extra. This is the third time since the plant was first approved in 2016 that the budget and schedule for Hinkley Point C have been revised by EDF Energy, the French state-owned firm leading its construction.
The …