Campaigners, councils and local politicians have reacted to the news that a £38billion deal has been signed for Sizewell C, describing the news as “devastating” at worst and “at best, unclear”.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the government had at last signed off on a deal with several investors to give the green light to the nuclear power plant based at Leiston, which was first earmarked for development in 2010.
The development will bring two nuclear European pressurised reactors (EPRs) to the site, replicating that of Somerset’s Hinkley Point C.
The cost of the project is almost double previous forecasts, with the French energy giant EDF estimating five years ago that Sizewell C would cost £20billion. As recently as February, it was denied that costs of a dual reactor had increased to £40billion.
The government will shoulder the largest share at 44.9%. Meanwhile, other investors were confirmed as Canada-based pension fund managers La Caisse (20%), British energy giant Centrica (15%), EDF (12.5%) and London-based investment manager Amber Infrastructure (7.6%).
Speaking to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and energy secretary Ed Miliband, this newspaper asked how this announcement will impact Leiston.
Mr Miliband - who signed the final investment decision for Sizewell C - said that this was the country’s most significant public investment in clean, home-grown energy this century and a major boost for energy security, jobs and economic growth.
"It's incredibly exciting for Suffolk for jobs and investment into the community," said the chancellor.
Mr Miliband added: "Places like Leiston really need what Sizewell C is going to offer."
However, local campaigners have questioned how far the project will residents here in Suffolk.
Alison Downes, executive director of the pressure group Stop Sizewell C, said that, while it was known that news of a deal was imminent, the announcement is still “pretty devastating”.
“We feel outraged that the government attempted to deny and claim not to recognise the cost figure of nearly £40billion, and when today it has been admitted to being £38billion,” she said.
“There’s no good precedent or case study for the EPR reactor to point to and say, this shows us why this is not such a high risk, and why this is definitely going to go well in terms of payments.”
She added that, while the project will create jobs, that this could be said for any large infrastructure project.
It has been estimated that an average of £1 will be added to each household’s energy bills per month from autumn, over the duration of the construction phase. The project is estimated to take between nine and 12 years to complete.
Jennifer Kirtley, chair of Together Against Sizewell C (TASC), said that the impact of the project to Suffolk is already being felt.
“We at TASC believe this decision is a financial and environmental disaster for the UK and Suffolk,” she said.
“I can't begin to imagine the impact it will have on our thriving tourism industry. We're already hearing comments from visitors that they just won't want to return. They find it very upsetting to see the damage that's already happening.”
She, too, questioned why earlier cost forecasts were half that of current estimates.
She also questioned how the local infrastructure and businesses would cope with an influx of additional workers.
Adrian Ramsey is the Waveney Valley MP and the co-leader of the Green Party.
“The tax-payer will pick up nearly half of the estimated £38bn bill for Sizewell C but see not a single watt of electricity from it for at least a decade,” he said.
“New nuclear is a vastly more expensive way to produce electricity than renewables, with electricity from Sizewell C estimated to cost around £170 per megawatt hour compared to offshore wind at around £89/MWh. Hinkley C has also shown how the costs of developing nuclear power plants mushroom and are beset by endless delays.
"The billions of our money being squandered on this nuclear gamble would be far better spent on insulating and retrofitting millions of homes, which would bringing down energy bills and keep people warm in winter and cool in summer. We should also be investing in genuinely green power such as fitting millions of solar panels to roofs, and in innovative technologies like tidal power.”
Tom Daly is East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for energy projects.
He said: “At this time, the technological development of renewables and the market situation will be such that the case for a massive inflexible nuclear provision will be, at best, unclear.”
Mr Daly continued: “East Suffolk Council believes that renewable energy, like offshore wind and solar, provides a better long-term answer to the energy security and carbon reduction future of the UK.
“ESC requests that alongside this significant investment in large scale nuclear, similar investment will come forward for community energy initiatives and domestic insulation, to help meet our climate commitments in the climate crisis, and to support our communities with unaffordable energy prices."
Both Ms Downes and Ms Kirtley said that they would welcome the opportunity to take the chancellor on a tour of Sizewell, so that she could see the impact of the project to the local environment.
“I gather she has said she comes on holiday to Aldeburgh and Southwold,” said Ms Downes. “I don’t know when she’s next due, but perhaps we could give her a guided tour of the local area so she can see the impact herself.”
“I have lived in this area for most of my life, and I am shocked,” said Ms Kirtley. “Two years ago, we had green fields. Now, it’s like a sandpit. The whole area is devastated.”
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