THE future of the planned Hinkley Point C power station was thrown into confusion on Thursday night after a dramatic intervention by the Government.
As expected, the board of French energy group EDF backed the £18 billion scheme by making the long-awaited final investment decision (FID) - effectively a vote to go ahead with building the nuclear plant.
But shortly after EDF announced the decision early on the Thursday evening, the Government said it was still looking at the details of the project.
It had been widely expected to welcome the final investment decision, and EDF was ready to proceed with signing contracts with the Government and its Chinese partners in the project.
But new Prime Minister Theresa May now wants more time to review the project before giving it the final go ahead.
In a brief statement last night, Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the Government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix.
"The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn."
Mr Clark and EDF's chief executive Vincent de Rivaz were both expected to be at Hinkley Point this morning but a press conference there was quickly cancelled.
Local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said after the Government announcement that he remained 100 per cent certain the the project would go ahead.
The GMB union's national secretary for energy Justin Bowden said the decision to put Hinkley on hold puts thousands of jobs at risk.
"Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead on Hinkley Point C is bewildering and bonkers.
"After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay.
"This unnecessary hesitation is putting finance for the project in doubt and 25,000 new jobs at risk immediately after Brexit.
" It is a gross error of judgment and must be reversed."