Hinkley Point C was once expected to be up and running by this year but could now take another decade

The cost and timetable for the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant are subject to a “full review”, its developer EDF has admitted, after reports that the company expects the project to be years late and billions of pounds over budget.

The French energy company has promised to deliver power from the £18 billion project in Somerset by the end of 2025 but Le Monde said that this was no longer seen as realistic by insiders, who said it would start up in 2027.

The delays are expected to result in the cost of the project, funded jointly by EDF and CGN, China’s state nuclear company, increasing by up to €3 billion, it said.

Yesterday EDF said that “a full review of the costs and schedule