This Is The Most Expensive Object On Earth - And It’s Being Built In Britain

The most expensive object on the entire planet is being built in Britain - at a cost of £24 billion.

According to Greenpeace, the Hinkley nuclear power station is costing around £6 billion more than the initial estimate given by energy firm EDF.

That means it is around 18 times more expensive that the Burj Khalifa - the world’s tallest building situated in Dubai.

It is also approximately five times more costly that the Large Hadron Collider, which was built in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the universe.

Dwarfed: The power station is 18 times more expensive than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (Rex)

The staggering cost of the power station is thought to be down to making sure it is as safe as it can possibly be.

Steve Thomas, emeritus professor of energy policy at Greenwich University, said: “Nuclear power plants are the most complicated piece of equipment we make.

"Cost of nuclear power plants has tended to go up throughout history as accidents happen and we design measures to deal with the risk.”

Environmental charity Greenpeace have now organised a petition to stop the power station from being built, which has so far been signed by more than 110,000 people.

Secrets of the universe: The Large Hadron Collider cost less to build than the Hinkley nuclear power plant (Rex)

Sizewell B, the UK’s newest nuclear power station, cost just £2.3 billion when it was built in 1995 - around £4.1 billion in today’s money.

Hinkley’s cost also dwarfs other pricey ventures, including Heathrow’s Terminal 2 (£2.2 billion), and the new London railway Crossrail (£14.8 billion).

However, the figure is small fry compared to the International Space Station, which cost a earth-shattering £77.6 billion.

Top pic: PA