The Sizewell C Consortium, initially formed by 32 companies, is calling on the government to approve Sizewell C, saying it will boost the country’s post Covid-19 recovery by injecting billions into the UK’s green economy and net zero ambition. In May, France’s state-owned EDF submitted a planning application to build the two new EPR units at Sizewell C.
The consortium believes Sizewell C will provide a major economic boost for the UK and set the country on the road to a green recovery. It said work could begin this year, involving contracts worth up to £300m, adding that it intends to sign agreements with UK regions to guarantee jobs and investment.
France’s EDF and China General Nuclear Power Corporation are 80% and 20% shareholders in the project to build two Generation III EPR units on the Suffolk coast in southeast England. The cost of the project has been estimated at £18bn, although this has not been confirmed by either EDF or CGN. In September, the UK nuclear industry said it was confident that by taking key steps outlined in a Nuclear Industry Association report, and by action from the government to secure a new financing model, costs of new nuclear will fall by 30%.
Framatome is contributing to the construction of two EPR plants at Hinkley Point C. It also assists maintenance and long-term operations at the single-unit Sizewell B.
Framatome said Sizewell C will be a direct replica of Hinkley Point C, allowing it to benefit from construction and supply chain experience, which helps to lower costs. EDF has already said it can significantly reduce the cost of Sizewell C, including by transferring workers and equipment between the two.