中國將持有英欣克利角核電站三分之一股份

China is to take a one-third stake in a French-led project to build the first in a new generation of UK nuclear power plants, investing billions of pounds under a landmark commercial deal to be announced on Wednesday.

根據週三將公佈的一個里程碑式商業協議，中國將投資數十億英鎊，持有英國欣克利角(Hinkley Point)核電站項目三分之一股份。這個由法國牽頭的項目，旨在爲英國建造首座新一代核電站。

Its decision to take a 33.5 per cent share in the proposed ￡24bn Hinkley Point power station in Somerset follows months of negotiations with French energy group EDF, which will lead the project and fund the rest of the construction bill.

中國決定持有計劃中的薩默塞特郡(Somerset)欣克利角核電站33.5%的股份。在此之前，中方曾與法國能源集團法國電力(EDF)展開長達數月的磋商。後者將主導這一項目，並提供剩餘的建造資金。

There will be no other investors after Saudi Arabia backed out. EDF is expected to sell ￠10bn of assets over the coming five years as it shores up its balance sheet and prepares to build up to three nuclear projects in the UK with its Chinese partners.

在沙特阿拉伯退出之後，該項目將不再擁有其他投資者。法國電力預計會在今後五年內出售100億歐元資產，以鞏固其資產負債表，併爲與中方合作在英建設至多三個核電項目做準備。

In a pact sealed just hours before the arrival of President Xi Jinping of China in London for this week's state visit, senior EDF executives and a negotiating team led by China's state-owned CGN struck an accord that will lead to a final investment decision on the plant — an irrevocable undertaking — by the end of the year.

在中國國家主席習近平抵達倫敦、開啓本週對英國事訪問幾小時前，法國電力高管與由中國國企中廣核集團(CGN)牽頭的一支談判團隊達成了一份協議。根據該協議，雙方將於今年年底前就該核電站作出最終投資決定。目前，該核電站項目已不可撤銷。

The plan to press ahead with Hinkley Point C, a huge infrastructure project that will deliver 7 per cent of the UK's electricity needs, has the strong political backing of David Cameron, the UK prime minister, and the leaders of France and China.

欣克利角C核電站(Hinkley Point C)是一個龐大的基礎設施建設項目，該核電站將滿足英國7%的電力需求。英國首相戴維·卡梅倫(David Cameron)以及法中兩國領導人，對推進該項目的計劃予以了強大的政治支持。

It will be the commercial centrepiece of Mr Xi's visit this week. A second Chinese nuclear group, CNNC, will be involved in the project as a joint venture partner.

該項目將成爲習近平本週訪問中在商業方面的核心議題。另一家中國核電集團中國核工業集團公司(CNNC)，將以合作伙伴的身份參與該項目。

The agreement means that Hinkley will get a new completion date of 2025, coming online a decade from now and two years later than planned. It is already well behind schedule after a lengthy EU state aid inquiry, protracted talks on investment and the near failure of France's Areva, which will supply the European Pressurised Reactor technology used in the plant. EDF expects Hinkley's construction to be funded initially by equity. Industry insiders say this means it is unlikely to raise as much debt as envisaged originally and is, therefore, not expected to draw heavily on public funds to underwrite that debt. The Treasury last month agreed to provide a 2bn pounds infrastructure guarantee. While more funding may be available, EDF has no plans to request it.

根據該協議，欣克利角核電站的完工日期將改爲2025年，也就是從現在起十年後入網運營，比原計劃晚了兩年。在此之前，經歷了歐盟(EU)漫長的國家援助調查、圍繞投資問題展開的曠日持久磋商以及法國阿海琺(Areva)瀕臨破產，該項目已大大落後於計劃。阿海琺是該電站所用歐洲壓水反應堆(European Pressurised Reactor)技術的提供方。法國電力預計，欣克利角的初始建設資金將來自股本。

This week's accord is also expected to include a reference to future co-operation with the Chinese on two further nuclear plants, Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.

本週的協議預計還會提及未來就另外兩座核電站與中方展開的合作。這兩座核電站分別是位於薩福克郡(Suffolk)的塞茲維爾核電站(Sizewell)，以及位於埃塞克斯郡(Essex)的布拉德韋爾核電站(Bradwell)。

China wants to use Bradwell to showcase its own reactor technology and would take the lead on that project, submitting a design to UK regulators."

中國希望用布拉德韋爾核電站來展示自己的反應堆技術，它將成爲該項目的主導者，並已向英國監管機構提交了設計方案。