New Nuclear

EDF is gearing up to formally submit plans for a new £16bn-£20bn nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk within weeks, which if approved could generate enough energy for around six million UK homes, according to reports. The French state-controlled energy giant has again teamed up with CGN – the Chinese state-owned company with which it is currently developing Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset – on the project, which would include two new EPR reactors, reports The Telegraph. A planning application is currently being prepared for the new Suffolk nuclear plant, which would be located at the same site as EDF’s existing Sizewell B nuclear plant, and could be lodged by as soon as the end of this month, or potentially in March, the newspaper revealed on Saturday. Due to the size of the development, the project requires a Development Consent Order (DSO) to proceed from the UK’s Planning Inspectorate, which could take around a year to approve or reject the application.

Business Green 17th Feb 2020 read more »

New Civil Engineer 18th Feb 2020 read more »

An overview of Sizewell C: The planned Suffolk nuclear power station moving closer to being built. Sizewell Point C looks set to be the latest nuclear power station to be built in the UK – but getting work underway hasn’t been without its difficulties. Proposed by EDF Energy – the French state-controlled electricity company that is also building the identically-designed Hinkley Point C – Sizewell C would be the third nuclear plant on the Suffolk coast. While the £16bn ($21bn) scheme has been plagued with funding challenges that have delayed construction from beginning, reports suggest a planning application is almost ready to be submitted. If Sizewell C does go ahead, the 32-hectare site will operate alongside Sizewell B – its predecessor nuclear power station located south of the new site – and the Sizewell A plant that is being decommissioned, with an estimated completion date of 2031.

NS Energy 17th Feb 2020 read more »

Former international development secretary Alok Sharma – who took over as energy secretary from Andrea Leadsom on Thursday – assumes responsibility for a number of projects awaiting planning decisions. The most high profile project awaiting a decision is the planned nuclear plant at Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey, North Wales. Leadsom deferred her decision on whether to push ahead with the £16bn nuclear power project in October last year. She was expected to rule on the application for a development consent order (DCO) but requested more information on environmental impacts of the scheme – in particular, the impacts on biodiversity, flood risk and construction noise. The current deadline for the decision on the application is 31 March. A spokesperson for Horizon Nuclear Power, which is building the plant, said: “Wylfa Newydd is a vital project in the effort to deliver net zero and will transform the economy of Anglesey and north west Wales. It also enjoys huge community support.

New Civil Engineer 17th Feb 2020 read more »

EDF is poised to submit a formal planning application to build a new £16bn nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk within weeks. The French state-controlled electricity giant is putting the final touches to the paperwork required for a so-called Development Consent Order for the new station, Sizewell C, from Britain’s National Infrastructure Commission, the final stage in the planning process. If approved, the new station, on the coast between Ipswich and Lowestoft, would include two new EPR reactors – making it an identical twin of another plant under construction at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Sizewell C, which is also backed by CGN, a Chinese government-controlled company, would generate 7pc of UK electricity, enough for 6m UK homes. Sources familiar with the project said EDF hoped to file the application as soon as the end of this month although it could be delayed until March. EDF said: “Work on the DCO application is continuing”. EDF has been working to address concerns about the suitability of the site, where an existing nuclear plant, Sizewell B, has been generating electricity for 25 years. Its low-lying coastal location has raised concerns about flood risks, especially with forecasts of rising sea levels. At 79 acres (32 hectares), the Sizewell site is significantly smaller than the 111 acre (45 hectare) site at Hinkley Point, fuelling concerns about congestion during construction as well as the environmental impact. Sizewell is surrounded by protected marshland and bird habitats including RSPB Minsmere to the north. The NIC is expected to take about a year to approve or reject the application. However, a government funding package for the plant has not yet been finalised, raising doubts over how quickly it will proceed. The Government is determined to avoid the mistakes made with the funding for Hinkley, where EDF was awarded a guaranteed “strike price” for the electricity generated for 30 years.

Telegraph 15th Feb 2020 read more »

PLANS for the new nuclear power station at Bradwell have now reached the final step before public consultation. The Office for Nuclear Regulation announced yesterday (February 13) the start of Step 4 of the Generic Design Assessment for the UK HPR1000 nuclear technology for the Bradwell B project. A more detailed assessment of the design of the reactor and of the supporting evidence provided by CGN will continue to be open to public comment. During this phase the Environment Agency, joint UK nuclear regulator together with the ONR, will also undertake its own public consultation.

Daily Gazette 14th Feb 2020 read more »