government’s thinking behind decision to review the Hinkley Point C project is a recognition that “big baseload nuclear plants” are old technology, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said.

In a response to the decision to review plans for two new nuclear reactors, which would be Britain’s first new nuclear plants in decades, Mr Ryan said cost may also have been a factor.

“There is a subsidy of about €1 billion a year to be paid on these plants and I think there is a recognition that nuclear is old and expensive whereas wind and solar are becoming cheaper,” he said.

Mr Ryan said he believed the future of electricity generation was away from large nuclear plants “which take four hours to warm up and have to be able to be shut down in an instant”. Instead he said the future was more likely to be of smaller, more flexible electricity generation which could be locally produced for local needs.

The £18 billion (€21.3 billion) nuclear reactors carry commercial risks for the manufacturer and the government. French energy company EDF would assume the upfront costs, which unions say could jeopardise the firm’s survival, while Britain has committed to pay a price twice current market levels for power generated by the plant.

Mr Ryan said the subsidy could amount to almost €1 billion a year for 35 years.

The decision by the British government to review the proposed plans came after the board of EDF had narrowly voted to go ahead with building the plants.