Hinkley Point C nuclear power station

Hinkley Point C is a nuclear power station under construction near the village of Stogursey in Somerset. It stands on the coast where the Bristol Channel meets the Severn Estuary, beside two older plants. The site covers a large area of low-lying land with views across the water to Wales. Heavy machinery and concrete pours mark the scale of the work. Two identical reactor buildings are rising side by side, each topped with cranes. Behind them, warehouses and offices support the daily effort. The project has drawn global attention because of its size and cost. Two European Pressurised Reactor units will together produce 3,200 megawatts of electricity when finished. The plan was approved in 2012 after a public inquiry heard from more than 600 witnesses and received 22,000 objections. Financing comes from EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group, with total costs now put at £35 billion. Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit have pushed the start of Unit 1 to 2030. The Stop Hinkley Expansion Campaign fought the scheme for years, spending over £50,000 and arguing for renewable energy instead. Visitors see a landscape transformed by construction. Long roads lead past security gates to viewing areas where the reactor domes dominate the skyline. The site is surrounded by farmland and lanes that once carried stone from local quarries. On clear days the Welsh hills are visible across the water. Temporary offices and canteens stand among stacks of steel and piles of aggregate. The contrast between the old power stations and the new build shows how the place keeps changing.