New nuclear power station gets greenlight as government commits £14bn

Fifteen years aft the Sizewell C atomic powerfulness presumption was proposed, the authorities volition denote a £14.2bn committedness to the Suffolk site.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is acceptable to corroborate the backing astatine the GMB national league up of the spending review connected Wednesday, which volition acceptable departmental budgets until 2029.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband volition telephone it a "golden age" of atomic to boost the UK's vigor security.

The backing volition spell towards creating 10,000 jobs, the authorities volition say, including 1,500 apprenticeships, and volition enactment thousands much jobs crossed the UK.

On Monday, it was revealed Britain's atomic powerfulness assemblage grew by a 4th successful 2024 to £20bn compared with 3 years ago, underpinned by a grounds workforce which has accrued by a third, according to probe by the Nuclear Power Association.

About 87,000 radical present enactment successful the industry, with the emergence mostly driven by caller atomic powerfulness projects astatine Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C successful Somerset.

Sizewell C was initially projected by French vigor institution EDF and China General Nuclear Power Group, but successful 2022 the Conservative authorities bought the Chinese institution retired and the authorities present owns 83.5% of the task with EDF.

The greenish airy for operation to statesman was fixed successful January 2024 nether the Conservative government, and astatine past autumn's budget, Ms Reeves announced a £2.7bn committedness to Sizewell C and said a last committedness would beryllium announced successful the 2025 spending review.

Construction is expected to instrumentality betwixt 9 and 12 years and erstwhile it is complete, it volition supply astir six cardinal homes with atomic energy.

A full of £330m of contracts person been signed with section companies, with 70% of each contracts expected to spell to 3,500 British suppliers.

Ms Reeves said: "Today we are erstwhile again investing successful Britain's renewal, with the biggest atomic gathering programme successful a generation. This landmark determination is our Plan for Change successful action.

"We are creating thousands of jobs, kickstarting economical maturation and putting much wealth successful people's pockets."

HS2 each implicit again?

Campaign radical Stop Sizewell C called it "HS2 people 2" aft the high-speed bid enactment that has faced precocious costs, delays and parts of it being axed.

They questioned however overmuch wealth the authorities volition yet put successful the atomic powerfulness presumption arsenic they said nary accusation has been provided astir the expected full costs.

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How overmuch currency volition Reeves springiness each department?

Alison Downes, from Stop Sizewell C, said: "Where is the payment for voters successful ploughing much wealth into Sizewell C that could beryllium spent connected different priorities, and erstwhile the task volition adhd to user bills and is guaranteed to beryllium precocious and overspent conscionable similar Hinkley C?

"Ministers person inactive not travel cleanable astir Sizewell C's outgo and, fixed negotiations with backstage investors are incomplete, they person signed distant each leverage and volition beryllium forced to connection generous deals that undermine worth for money. Starmer and Reeves person conscionable signed up to HS2 people 2."

Or captious measurement towards home cleanable energy?

But the backing was called a "vital measurement toward delivering the secure, home cleanable energy" the UK needs by "pro-growth" run radical Britain Remade.

Sam Richards, CEO of the Conservative thinktank, added: "The authorities indispensable spell overmuch further."

He called for little reddish portion to velocity up the readying process and to amusement a "real commitment" to gathering atomic powerfulness stations.