The announcement by the UK Government that it is to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, Somerset, has been described by the Green Party as "a desperate €19 billion euro bet by the British Government to address its impending energy crunch".

Green Party Councillor Mark Dearey, who led a submission by Louth Local Authorities to the justification hearings on nuclear new builds in Britain, said: "By the time this facility is built in 2025 or so, solar energy from southern Europe, wind energy from offshore and onshore northern Europe - along with tidal and solar micro-generation - will all be delivering power to an integrated European grid and will be capable of dealing with the energy crunch Britain is facing."

Councillor Dearey continued: "This renewable energy infrastructure wont require a 35 year inflation proofed price guarantee backed by a 40% guarantee from the Chinese Government as is the case with the planned Hinkley Point plant. Photo voltaics (solar) will be competitive without guarantee in Northern Europe by 2019 and as Connie Hedegaard (EU commissioner for Climate Change) stated, 'Offshore wind is already cheaper than nuclear power when all state subsidies are stripped away.'

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"I expect that the price guarantee will be seen by the Commission as a distortion of the electricity market in the UK and as such will view it as an infringement of state aid rules. How that is addressed will ultimately determine whether EDF commit hard cash to the project.

"EDF share price hardly reacted to the British Government's announcement, so it's clear that even with China, Britain and France all providing financial guarantees, private money still views new nuclear build as a dubious proposition."

Green Party Environment Spokesperson Councillor Malcolm Noonan said that Minister Pat Rabbitte needs to urgently put questions to the UK Government about how Irish wind energy would be able to compete in the UK energy market with the generous subsidies being afforded Hinkley Point and further nuclear new builds.

"A risk assessment carried out by our Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has given British nuclear new builds a 'clean' bill of heath. However, this will not allay the distrust of Irish people towards nuclear power so close to our coastline - particularly given the track record of the industry at Sellafield. Irish citizens were not consulted in this process," Councillor Noonan said.

(CD/JP)