The Sizewell reactors sit on a windswept beach just yards from a sea that has already consumed ancient villages as the coastline changed and eroded over the centuries. Now the sea level rise that will come with climate change promises in time to drown a few more, most likely including the Sizewell nuclear site. Undeterred, the French government nuclear company, EDF, insists it will build a new reactor at Sizewell — one of its ill-fated EPR design that is already struggling at Flamanville, Olkiluoto and Hinkley. Just from a climate change point of view, it is an exercise in insanity. But there is so much more at stake. The local activist group, Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) has been challenging the EDF plan for years, even as Sizewell sits permanently second in the queue behind the ever more delayed and ever more exorbitant sister site at Hinkley C in Somerset, where EDF is attempting to build two EPRs. Despite the technical problems, cost over-runs and the obscene strike price EDF scored off the UK government — which would almost triple current electricity rates — the company insists in can build Sizewell C more cheaply than Hinkley C and that construction could start within the next three years. It’s a pretty tall order and, arguably, total French farce.
Beyond Nuclear 31st March 2019 read more »
Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station Stage 3 Pre-Application Consultation. We previously commented on this proposal at the Stage 1 consultation in 2013 and the Stage 2 consultation in 2017. During both previous consultations we expressed our disappointment and concern about the lack of information made available. Whilst we acknowledge that some areas of additional detail and clarification are provided as part of this Stage 3 consultation and the format has been updated to reflect that the consultation presents Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI), we retain our serious disappointment and concern about the continued limited nature of the information being presented. Insufficient detail on the scope and scale of the development has severely hampered the making of a robust consideration of the proposal. It is unquestionable that the proposed development will have significant adverse ecological impacts which it will be very difficult to adequately address. We remain disappointed that there is still limited information available on a range of key ecological matters and are concerned that this shows a lack of acknowledgement of the difficulties associated with the project.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust 28th March 2019 read more »
Building a second nuclear power station at Sizewell C in Suffolk could create thousands of jobs and boost businesses by millions if not billions of pounds, a new report into its sister site claims. The study, which looks at Hinkley Point C’s progress in Somerset, indicates 1,700 people are already employed locally just two years into construction. It claims spending with south west businesses has now topped £1bn and that 6,500 people have worked on the construction so far. EDF Energy bosses hope these socio-economic benefits would be mirrored should a second nuclear power station be built in Suffolk. The ‘Realising the Socio-economic Benefits’ report measures Hinkley Point C’s performance against ambitions set out before construction began. It says 1,700 of the current workforce for Hinkley Point C live in Somerset, of which 300 are under 35. EDF bosses say it also highlights their efforts to build a pipeline of skills from schools to the site – and claims that in 2018, the power station worked with 14,500 school and college pupils. Campaigners fighting against the construction of a second nuclear power station at Sizewell claim a report into its predicted economic benefits fail to convey the damage it may do to tourism. Paul Collins, of the Theberton and Eastbridge Action Group on Sizewell (TEAGS), claims noise, dust, loss of access and visual impacts will deter visitors to the coast – negatively impacting tourism, which is worth £2bn a year to the Suffolk economy. “EDF may be trumpeting the economic benefits it claims Sizewell will bring to Suffolk, but these figures don’t convey the damage that will be done to the existing economy, in particular tourism,” he said. “Noise, dust, loss of access and visual impacts will deter visitors to the coast and its rural hinterland in the whole area between Southwold and Aldeburgh.” The group also believes EDF intends to utilise the Hinkley supply chain, which they claim would affect expected employment benefits for Suffolk.
East Anglian Daily Times 1st April 2019 read more »
