Sizewell C signs land freehold deal with EDF Energy to build new power station on Suffolk coast
Sizewell C has signed a deal with EDF Energy for the land which will be used to construct the new nuclear power station.
Most of the land, which Sizewell C now owns the freehold for, will be used to build power station buildings, including the two reactor units (EPRs) as well as new wildlife habitats, a temporary construction site and an accommodation building for about 2,400 workers.
Once the project is completed, the majority of the newly purchased land will be restored to grassland, heathland, scrub and deciduous woodland.
Sizewell C entered the construction phase in January.
Nigel Cann and Julia Pyke, managing directors of Sizewell C, said: “This is another important step which fulfils a key requirement of the ONR (Office for Nuclear Regulation) and demonstrates that Sizewell C is an independent organisation.
“It builds on the progress we are making right across the project in raising additional finance, agreeing contracts with suppliers, and manufacturing key nuclear components.”
Workforce recruitment for the power station and its construction is being accelerated, while the ground is being prepared at the site for bulk earthworks to begin in a few weeks.
Sizewell C is a standalone company which is majority owned by the government, meaning it was required to purchase the land before it can be eligible for a nuclear site licence after the ONR completes its assessment.
Andrew Bowie, Minister for Nuclear and Renewables, said the deal guarantees the land needed as well as the project’s independence.
“Sizewell C will be a major piece of our energy infrastructure helping us achieve our ambition of up to 24GW of low-carbon nuclear power by 2050,” he said.
Sizewell C has been jointly developed by the UK Government, which is now the majority shareholder and investing £2.5 billion in financial support for the project, and EDF.
It is forecast the power station will provide low carbon electricity to six million homes for at least 60 years as well as saving nine million tonnes of CO₂ emissions for every year of operation.
Simone Rossi, EDF’s UK CEO, said: “EDF is proud to be part of the nuclear renaissance in the UK. We are proud to be building the EPR at Hinkley Point and supporting the replica project at Sizewell C.”
An equity riase process to finance the project is in progress and a final investment decision is expected later this year. It will support thousands of British jobs and create 1,500 apprenticeships.
Sizewell C is expected to boost local biodiversity by 19 per cent.