“The company building Britain’s first nuclear power station for 21 years has been ordered to shut down five more reactors in France for emergency tests.

The order from the French Nuclear Safety Agency is a further blow to the finances and reputation of EDF, the state-owned company behind plans to build an £18 billion nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

It brings to 12 the total number of French reactors being examined by experts to determine whether they contain hidden weaknesses in their reactor pressure vessels, a key component that houses the reactor.

Theresa May approved plans for Hinkley Point, which will generate 7 per cent of Britain’s electricity, last month, despite intense criticism of the high price tag and concerns about EDF’s reactor technology.

The safety agency’s order for EDF to shut reactors at Civaux, Fessenheim, Gravelines and Tricastin for tests has also sparked concerns that the group, the world’s biggest nuclear generator, may struggle to meet French demand for electricity this winter. Nuclear power provides nearly 80 per cent of the country’s electricity.

French power prices hit a four-year high yesterday amid fears of a supply crunch. Experts also warned of a possible impact on the UK, which imports French electricity during periods of high demand in January and February.

Dominic Whittome, an independent energy consultant, said that the shutdowns would mean “less spare electricity to export to Britain” at a time of tight supply margins, after the closure of a string of ageing British coal stations.

Greg Clark, the business and energy secretary, signed a final contract for EDF to construct two European pressurised reactors at Hinkley Point on September 29. The French group has a two-thirds stake, while China General Nuclear has a one-third stake in the project.

However, EDF is grappling with controversy after the disclosure last year that the reactor pressure vessel at a similar plant that it is building at Flamanville in Normandy contains unusually high levels of carbon. Experts say that this could make the structure unsafe.

Amid fears that the Flamanville vessel could crack once the plant enters service after 2018, France’s nuclear watchdog ordered stress tests on other reactors. These have highlighted a series of problems.

There are also financial concerns for EDF, which has debts of €37 billion. A total of 21 of its 58 French reactors are now shut down, either for scheduled maintenance or because of the nuclear watchdog’s demands. Le Monde said that EDF was losing €1 million a day for each of the reactors currently off-stream.

A spokesman for EDF said that the 12 reactors undergoing tests would be returned by the end of the year.”

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/edf-ordered-to-switch-off-five-reactors-3zsnzbl6b