CHANCELLOR George Osborne will plough a further £2 billion of taxpayers’ cash into Hinkley nuclear power station in Somerset.

Environmentalists and anti-nuclear campaigners slammed the decision, but it was welcomed by unions representing workers in the dangerous industry.

Hinkley is being built through a ground-breaking international deal involving development by French state energy firm EDF, a Chinese design and Chinese funding underwritten by British taxpayers.

Despite slashed funding for renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar power, the costs of the project stand at around £24.5 billion.

Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “It is truly absurd that this government plans to plough £2bn more of taxpayers’ money into this vastly overpriced project.”

Labour shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The ever-increasing costs of this project could leave Britain’s bill-payers paying over the odds for decades because ministers have negotiated such a bad deal.”

The government has guaranteed EDF £89.5 per megawatt hour for Hinkley’s electricity, compared to the £44 current British electricity price.

GMB national energy secretary Brian Strutton said: “This underwriting of the Chinese financing of Hinkley Point C is welcome.”

But he warned that China’s nuclear technology is “unproven.”

Unite national officer for energy Kevin Coyne said: “While today’s news is very welcome, the UK is by no means out of the woods yet when it comes to having a coherent energy strategy to keep the lights on in the decades ahead.”