Hinkley Point

Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, five miles north of Bridgwater and five miles west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett.

The landscape of Hinkley Point is dominated by two nuclear power stations:

• Hinkley Point A - Magnox (now closed)
• Hinkley Point B - AGR

The Government has now announced its support for a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, and Electricité de France (EDF) are expected to submit an application for development consent to the Infrastructure Planning Commission in 2010. A third, twin-unit European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) reactor is planned, and will become Hinkley Point C. EDF, who now own the site, are hoping to begin planning for the site in earnest. Hinkley Point C and Hinkley Point D, in conjunction with Sizewell C, could contribute 13% of UK electricity in the early 2020s. EDF plans to use Areva NP's EPR design for any new build reactors in the UK: the design is being used for reactors currently being built in Finland and France.

The exposed location of Hinkley Point meant that it was considered ideal for wind generation. However, a proposal to build 12 wind turbines close to the site of the nuclear power stations was turned down in October 2005. The reason given by the local council for the rejection was safety fears over what would happen were a turbine blade to detach and hit "something or somebody".

Hinkley Point adjoins the Bridgwater Bay (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and nature reserve, and is a popular location for birdwatching and fossil hunting. A visitors centre at the nuclear power station gives access to a nature trail which features plants, birds and butterflies.