The Chinese owners of a third of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station expect the government to approve a new plant on UK soil.

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) says it is very confident the China-developed third-generation HPR1000 nuclear reactor will pass its Generic Design Assessment (GDA), which is expected to take around four years.

The new nuclear power station is proposed to be built in Bradwell, Essex.

The firm says their reactor technology is both mature and economically-efficient – its senior officials have shrugged off concerns the Hinkley Point C project is over budget and a year behind schedule.

Robert Davies, Chief Operating Officer of the General Nuclear International, a UK subsidiary of China’s Shenzhen-based General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), said: “China is leading because it is building. The only way to bring cost-effective nuclear to a country is by building fleets of reactors.

“It needs to have new generation assets which give cost-effective, low-carbon energy with security supply. China is bringing stability, experience to help these projects to be successful.”