Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a backstop date has been agreed between the Low Carbon Contracts Company and EDF for the purposes of (a) possible contract termination and (b) the start of the Hinkley Point C Contract for Difference.

The Longstop Date in the Hinkley Point C (HPC) contract, the point at which the Contract for Difference (CfD) may be terminated for non-completion, has moved from 1 November 2033 to 1 November 2036. The extension reflects the work of the Low Carbon Contracts Company with the HPC project to understand the impacts of COVID-19, and the outcome of BEIS’ negotiations with China General Nuclear and EDF on Sizewell C. It has no impact on the project’s anticipated delivery date and consumers will pay nothing towards HPC until the project starts generating electricity.

The Longstop Date is the latest possible date that the CfD could start. EDF is targeting commencement of electricity generation at HPC, and therefore the start of the CfD, in June 2027.