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Plans to dredge hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of mud from a Somerset nuclear plant have been postponed.

As previously reported, EDF Energy obtained a marine licence to dump up to 300,000 cubic metres of dredged material in the Bristol Channel – just a mile off Cardiff Bay.

The French company says the dredging is essential to build the six vertical shafts for the cooling water system for the Hinkley Point C development in Bridgwater.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the body monitoring the work, announced the scheme will be delayed.

(Image: EDF Energy)

John Wheadon, permitting services manager for Natural Resources Wales, said: " We were initially told by the licence holder, NNB Genco, that they intended to begin the dredging/disposal operations on 16 August.

"We were subsequently informed that, due to external constraints, the dredging is now expected to begin in early September, although no specific date has yet been provided."

Thousands of people signed online petitions to prevent EDF Energy from dumping 'radioactive' mud into the Bristol Channel after a marine researcher questioned the safety of the material.

A spokesman for EDF Energy said the mud poses no threat to human health or environment.

What is Hinkley Point C?

(Image: EDF Energy)

The decision to go ahead with the Hinkley Point project came after years of delays and uncertainty and construction started in 2016.

A spokesman for EDF Energy told Somerset Live the project is "on track" to begin building structures above ground by summer 2019.

The site has been described as "the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK" and is due to be complete in 2025.

The £20 billion, twin-reactor station will eventually deliver low-carbon power to some six million homes and will create an estimated 25,000 employment opportunities.

David Eccles, EDF Energy's head of stakeholder engagement for Hinkley Point C, told investors at Bridgwater Gateway's launch that he expects to see more than 5,000 workers on site every day.

Three operational concrete batching plants will produce 3,000,000 tonnes of concrete in total - 75 times more concrete than was used to build the Millennium Stadium.

The power station will be the most expensive man-made object on Earth when it is finished.

A roadway is being installed for a 500m long jetty on the site in Bridgwater and when it is complete, the building materials will be delivered to the site by sea.

EDF Energy CEO, Simone Rossi, acknowledges the industrial site will face challenges and make no compromises on safety and quality.

The planned twin unit UK EPR will be capable of generating 3,260MW of secure, low carbon electricity for 60 years but critics say it could cost twice as much as the London Olympics in 2012 - with an estimated cost of £20.3 billion.

Already 4 million cubic metres of earth have been excavated from the site, enough to fill Wembley Stadium.

Critics of the project believe increased lorry deliveries will cause air pollution, long delays for motorists and the growing costs of the new power station.

Have you got a Hinkley Point story? Get in touch: michael.taylor@reachplc.com or call 01935 709742.

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