French energy firm EDF gave the green light to building the 18-billion-pound Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in south-western England on Thursday, despite concerns over the project's financial viability, according to dpa. EDF's board approved the "final investment decision," the company said, ending months of doubt about whether it would proceed amid criticism from industry analysts, French trade unions and British anti-nuclear activists. One of the 18 directors scheduled to take part had resigned earlier Thursday because he objected to the risks involved, French and British media reported. Following the approval, the company said the two EPR reactors at Hinkley Point will strengthen its position as Britain's largest electricity supplier and allow it to "mobilize all its significant nuclear engineering skills." The plant will be "a unique asset for French industry as it would benefit the whole of the nuclear industry and support employment in major companies and smaller enterprises in the sector," EDF said.
