Prospect Deputy General Secretary Garry Graham said: “This is fantastic for jobs, consumers and the UK economy. Nuclear new build is a key component in providing the UK with low-carbon energy generation for the future.

“When operational, Hinkley Point C will provide 7% of our energy needs for generations to come. Its construction and operation will provide thousands of high-quality skilled jobs while the £16bn investment will give a real boost to businesses on both a local and national level.

“More importantly this will give confidence for what has been termed the UK nuclear renaissance and provide the impetus for other nuclear new build sites, including NuGen in Cumbria and Horizon at Oldbury and Wylfa.”

But, he warned, any further delay could equally deter the much-needed vital investment at a time when capacity margins are shrinking fast and the UK faces the real threats of blackouts.

“Ofgem has been warning since before 2012 that we risk running out of spare electricity capacity by 2015 and the threat is becoming more and more real as older plant comes offline.

“Prospect has been campaigning for nuclear new build as part of a balanced low-carbon energy mix for over a decade. It could provide much needed capacity, help aid energy security and deliver low-carbon base-load generation for years. But we can’t delay any longer. We need to start building now.”