Construction of Sizewell C gets the final go-ahead

Monday, January 15, marks the triggering of the Development Consent Order for Sizewell C - the latest in a series of nuclear plants to be sited on the Suffolk coast near Leiston.

The momentous move is welcomed by local businesses which hope to benefit from the £4.4bn construction phase - but remains bitterly opposed by local objectors.

Project bosses - who are still in talks with potential investors - gained planning permission in July 2022.

Nuclear bosses have been working through various hurdles since then to enable construction to go ahead. Pre-commencement works have already been taking place on site.

Today's announcement means that a phased £250m package for local communities is activated and Community Forums will be officially launched to enable local people to have their say during construction.

Nuclear and renewables minister Andrew Bowie MP will be at the site of the first reactor to welcome what he describes as a “lasting positive legacy for our region”.

A Deed of Obligation document signed with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council has meant that the project needed to carry out a series of tasks - including road surveys and the establishment of governance groups - before the works could be given the final OK.

Joint managing directors Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann described it as "a significant moment" for the project in Suffolk and "a big step" for British energy security.

“While Sizewell C will be a linchpin of Britain’s energy system, it’s much more than a power station, especially for this region," they said.

"Entering the construction phase will be a game-changer for the area, helping to boost employment and skills, enhancing the local environment, and developing new clean technologies.”

Mr Bowie will be on site to hail "a major milestone" for Sizewell C and the government's goal of delivering up to 24GW of low-carbon nuclear power by 2050 through a package of ambitions announced last week.

He will be highlighting the thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships it will create - and the "local rewards" of backing new nuclear.

But the money still needs to be secured for the project. Government, Sizewell C and French energy company EDF have been working on security the equity - in order to arrive at a final investment decision (FID).

"Constructive discussions with qualified potential investors are continuing and a final investment decision is expected later in 2024," the parties have said.

Local opposition to the project remains - but communities around the site are being told they will benefit from £23m for community projects, £100m for the environment, £12m to support local tourism and a £12m housing fund to boost private housing and tourist accommodation.

"At a least a third" of construction workers making up the 7,900-strong workforce needed at the peak of construction will come from the local area, according to Sizewell C - and 1,500 apprenticeships created.

Business leaders welcomed the boost to the economy the project would bring.

Jake Nicholls, group boss at Ipswich-based construction equipment company Tru7 Group - which employs 350 people - said it would provide a "lasting positive legacy".

Tim Capey, managing director of Poundfield Precast at Creeting St Peter near Stowmarket, said they were "incredibly excited".

"The scale of the project should provide us with fantastic opportunities over the next decade, and the duration of the project will allow us the opportunity to fully assess demand and invest in our infrastructure,” he said.

Mark Burrows, regional commercial director at family-owned Needham Market civil engineers Breheny Civil Engineering Ltd said his company was already participating in projects at the Sizewell site.

"Our 330-plus people and their families live and work in the geographical area affected by Sizewell and are looking forward to the social, environmental, and economic benefits the project will provide our community.”

Four main forums to air community concerns will be chaired independently and have with parish and town council representatives on board, Local people able attend the meetings as observers.

But protesters will be gathering near the site to voice their opposition. Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said finance for the "deeply flawed" project was still months away.

"It is also telling that the enormous cost is being kept secret. Significant environmental destruction has already taken place, yet there is still so much unknown, including whether the necessary billions of pounds can actually be raised, and from whom," she said.

"It is touch-and-go whether - in these politically uncertain times - this slow, expensive and damaging project can stumble over the line before the election."