By Nina Chestney
LONDON (Reuters) - A project to build two new nuclear reactors at EDF (PA:EDF) Energy's Hinkley Point site in Britain will not be influenced by the outcome of the country's vote last week to leave the European Union, energy minister Andrea Leadsom told lawmakers on Wednesday.
"I don't believe the Austrian challenge to Hinkley has any merit ... and I do not believe (the project) will be influenced by the results of the referendum," Leadsom told an energy and climate change committee hearing.
Austria launched legal action against the European Commission last year over its backing of British plans to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, saying it went against the EU's aim to support renewable energy.
A final investment decision on Hinkley Point has been delayed as France's EDF tries to secure partners and financing. Concerns have been raised that Britain's decision to leave the EU could put the project even further behind.
Leadsom, who was in favour of leaving the EU, also said she did not believe anything would change for British energy policy following last week's vote and that nothing should change for interconnectors with the EU, which are run by companies that have commercial agreements.
The minister said she could not give details about the timings of the second and third rounds of auctions for government-supported renewable energy projects, known as contracts-for-difference (CfD).
"On the timings of the second and third auctions, it depends on progress, the pipeline (of projects) and so on, and so it is not possible to say right now," Leadsom said.