Unnamed sources said arrangements were being put in place to make an official announcement, according to the paper. Representatives from the government, EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) are expected to be present at the signing.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “It’s something we’re working on at the moment and more details will be revealed in due course.”
The government gave its final go-ahead for the new nuclear plant in Somerset earlier this month, after conducting a review of the terms of the agreement over the summer. The review was unexpectedly launched in July just hours after EDF made a final investment decision on the project following years of delays.
The government revised the terms of the deal to prevent EDF from selling its controlling stake in the £18 billion project prior to the completion of construction unless they have the consent of ministers. Business and energy secretary Greg Clark said existing laws and a “new legal framework” will prevent the French supplier from doing so once it is operational.
He added that taxpayers will be “fully insulated from the cost of construction” as EDF had confirmed to him it will not take advantage of the £2 billion loan guarantee previously offered by the government.