Sizewell C given £170m for ramp up to construction

The government has announced a new £170m investment to speed up preparations to build the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk. 

There had been rumours as recently as autumn 2022 that the £20bn EDF scheme’s future was in jeopardy, but the government has since re-committed, with the latest tranche of funding set to bring the project toward final approval. 

When it comes online, the two-reactor scheme will generate a total 3.2GW of electricity, equivalent to 7% of the UK’s electricity. 

Sizewell C is one part of the Department for Energy and Net Zero’s strategy to generate 24GW of the UK’s power from nuclear sources by 2050. 

Secretary of state Grant Shapps announced another major component of that plan last week, pairing the launch of Great British Nuclear body with a funding competition for developers of small modular nuclear reactors. 

Shapps said: “Following the launch of Great British Nuclear, and our plans for a massive revival of nuclear power, I am proud to be demonstrating the government’s commitment to the continued development of Sizewell C.   

“Sizewell C represents the bridge between the ongoing construction of Hinkley Point C and our longer-term ambition to provide up to a quarter of the UK’s electricity from homegrown nuclear energy by 2050.   

“Our new nuclear fleet will provide clean, reliable, and abundant energy whilst driving down bills, boosting economic growth and ensure that the UK is never held to energy ransom by tyrants like Putin.” 

The latest funding will be used to prepare the Sizewell C site for future construction, procure key components from the project’s supply chain, and expand its workforce. 

According to the government, Sizewell C would support 10,000 jobs nationwide at the peak of its construction.