Valve World Magazine September 2022 | Page 12

Project report

On 20 July , the UK government gave the green light for the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the coast of Suffolk , England .
By Joanne McIntyre
An artist ’ s impression of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast . Image © EDF

Green light for Sizewell C : low carbon energy for 60 years

Expected to cost around GBP 20 billion , the project will largely be funded by the French energy company EDF , who stated that the new Sizewell C plant would generate 7 % of the UK ’ s electricity needs and operate for sixty years . The new plant will be built next to the existing Sizewell B plant , which is still generating electricity , and the decommissioned Sizewell A .

Powering 6 million home
EDF said the new two-reactor plant could generate 3.2 gigawatts ( GW ) of low-carbon electricity , enough for about six million homes . By replacing fossil-fuel power , it will avoid around nine million tonnes of carbon emissions each year compared to gas-fired power plants . The project will support 70,000 jobs across the UK and rely on over 3,000 UK-based suppliers , contributing around GBP 4 billion to the regional economy . The central government will make all future planning decisions on the plant as it is considered to be a nationally significant infrastructure project . The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in May 2020 . Carly Vince , Sizewell C ’ s chief planning officer at EDF , said : “ I am delighted that , after months of careful consideration , the government has given planning consent for Sizewell C . It is a big endorsement of our proposals and supports our view that this is the right project in the right place .”
Government stake
The UK government has committed GBP 100m to develop the project and planned to take a 20 % stake in the plant . Suffolk will benefit from nearly GBP 200m of investment to mitigate the impact on communities , the environment and infrastructure and “ a far greater quantity of construction materials will be delivered by rail and sea , reducing the number of lorries on the county ’ s rural roads ”.
Supporting British business
Thousands of companies across the UK are set to benefit from Sizewell C . It is expected that 70 % of the project ’ s construction value will be spent with UK-based businesses helping to “ level up ” the country with huge opportunities already confirmed , not just for East Anglia , but Wales , the North-East and West of England , and other regions . While over 140 Tier 1 direct and large suppliers will be involved in the project , there will be thousands of opportunities for a whole range of small-to-medium suppliers across a host of industries – from construction to catering , logistics , project management , manufacturing and more . Sizewell C will be modelled on Hinkely Point C , the nuclear power station EDF is building in Somerset .
Low carbon energy
Sizewell C will be one of the UK ’ s biggest net zero infrastructure projects , supplying reliable
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