The decision to offer funding for Sizewell C in Suffolk, in its final week in Downing Street, is expected to unlock significant private funding for the project after years bogged down in planning approvals. However, it would come after Johnson promised not to make major spending decisions before leaving office. Here is the state of the game.
What is Sizewell C?
The power station is planned to be located next to the existing Sizewell B nuclear reactor on the Suffolk coast. When completed, the estimated 3.2 gigawatt plant will be capable of generating electricity for 6 million homes for up to 60 years. Sizewell C is expected to fill a gap in Britain’s nuclear capabilities – most UK plants will close by 2030. Sizewell B is due to close in 2035, although its life may be extended.
How is it going to be financed?
The plans were initially developed by France’s EDF, which owns 80% of the project, and China’s state-owned nuclear power company CGN, which owns 20%. But ministers are keen to avoid further Chinese involvement in UK nuclear facilities amid worsening relations between Britain and China. CGN owns a stake in Hinkley Point C – the delayed and over-budget plant in Somerset on which plans for Sizewell are based. The UK government and EDF are expected to take a 20% stake each, while Barclays bankers have been tasked by officials with finding investors for the rest. Special pension and infrastructure funds are considered the most likely candidates for investment.
How much will it cost?
Estimates have risen from £20 billion to a current range of £20 billion to £30 billion. The government will make the final decision on how much taxpayers’ money – believed to be around £6bn – will be made available next year. Ministers have already committed £100m to the project and plan to use a so-called ‘asset-adjusted base’ funding model. RAB financing provides investors with a defined return during the construction phase of a project, reducing risk to encourage participation in critical infrastructure deals. However, it shifts the risk of delays and additional costs to taxpayers. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has estimated that taxpayer support will add an extra £1 a month to household bills. However, research from the University of Greenwich business school seen by the Guardian shows that the average monthly cost can be as high as £2.12, or £25.40 a year. The average estimate in the study put the combined costs at £35 billion, or £2.3 billion a year.
When will it be built?
The site is a critical pillar in Johnson’s plan to greenlight eight new nuclear reactors over the next eight years. However, the approval process suffered multiple delays. The progress of Hinkley Point C – which earlier this year pushed its opening to June 2027, a decade later than planned – has not provided an encouraging plan. The University of Greenwich predicts it will take 15 years to build Sizewell C, or 17 years under its worst forecast, and cost £43.8bn. Greg Clarke, the leveling secretary, this week unveiled proposals designed to speed up the approval of nuclear power stations and offshore wind farms. The fast-track process will also apply to major roads and airport runways.
What are the objections to Sizewell C?
The project has faced pushback on several fronts from critics who say nuclear projects are too slow to build and are expensive, as well as those concerned about safety and nuclear waste. Campaigners question the track record of the proposed pressurized water reactor for the site and the cost to consumers. Opponents also worry whether the local infrastructure can handle a site that could bring 6,000 workers to the area and thousands of additional vehicles. The threat to water supplies in an area officially classified as severely water stressed and the risk of coastal erosion and flooding have also been raised.
What happens next?
A final decision is expected from the government on the project next year. With Johnson’s decision ahead of his departure, the situation has echoes of Hinkley Point C, when Theresa May put the project on hold in 2016 in her first weeks as prime minister amid security concerns. May eventually approved the project and, if Liz Truss is successful in the Tory leadership race, her rumored chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, is understood to be backing Sizewell C. However, the process may also be delayed by a legal challenge from the Together Against Sizewell C campaign, over planning consent for the factory, which was granted against the advice of the independent Planning Inspectorate in July.
title: “Who Will Fund The Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station And When Will It Be Built Nuclear Power Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Samuel Coles”
The decision to offer funding for Sizewell C in Suffolk, in its final week in Downing Street, is expected to unlock significant private funding for the project after years bogged down in planning approvals. However, it would come after Johnson promised not to make major spending decisions before leaving office. Here is the state of the game.
What is Sizewell C?
The power station is planned to be located next to the existing Sizewell B nuclear reactor on the Suffolk coast. When completed, the estimated 3.2 gigawatt plant will be capable of generating electricity for 6 million homes for up to 60 years. Sizewell C is expected to fill a gap in Britain’s nuclear capabilities – most UK plants will close by 2030. Sizewell B is due to close in 2035, although its life may be extended.
How is it going to be financed?
The plans were initially developed by France’s EDF, which owns 80% of the project, and China’s state-owned nuclear power company CGN, which owns 20%. But ministers are keen to avoid further Chinese involvement in UK nuclear facilities amid worsening relations between Britain and China. CGN owns a stake in Hinkley Point C – the delayed and over-budget plant in Somerset on which plans for Sizewell are based. The UK government and EDF are expected to take a 20% stake each, while Barclays bankers have been tasked by officials with finding investors for the rest. Special pension and infrastructure funds are considered the most likely candidates for investment.
How much will it cost?
Estimates have risen from £20 billion to a current range of £20 billion to £30 billion. The government will make the final decision on how much taxpayers’ money – believed to be around £6bn – will be made available next year. Ministers have already committed £100m to the project and plan to use a so-called ‘asset-adjusted base’ funding model. RAB financing provides investors with a defined return during the construction phase of a project, reducing risk to encourage participation in critical infrastructure deals. However, it shifts the risk of delays and additional costs to taxpayers. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has estimated that taxpayer support will add an extra £1 a month to household bills. However, research from the University of Greenwich business school seen by the Guardian shows that the average monthly cost can be as high as £2.12, or £25.40 a year. The average estimate in the study put the combined costs at £35 billion, or £2.3 billion a year.
When will it be built?
The site is a critical pillar in Johnson’s plan to greenlight eight new nuclear reactors over the next eight years. However, the approval process suffered multiple delays. The progress of Hinkley Point C – which earlier this year pushed its opening to June 2027, a decade later than planned – has not provided an encouraging plan. The University of Greenwich predicts it will take 15 years to build Sizewell C, or 17 years under its worst forecast, and cost £43.8bn. Greg Clarke, the leveling secretary, this week unveiled proposals designed to speed up the approval of nuclear power stations and offshore wind farms. The fast-track process will also apply to major roads and airport runways.
What are the objections to Sizewell C?
The project has faced pushback on several fronts from critics who say nuclear projects are too slow to build and are expensive, as well as those concerned about safety and nuclear waste. Campaigners question the track record of the proposed pressurized water reactor for the site and the cost to consumers. Opponents also worry whether the local infrastructure can handle a site that could bring 6,000 workers to the area and thousands of additional vehicles. The threat to water supplies in an area officially classified as severely water stressed and the risk of coastal erosion and flooding have also been raised.
What happens next?
A final decision is expected from the government on the project next year. With Johnson’s decision ahead of his departure, the situation has echoes of Hinkley Point C, when Theresa May put the project on hold in 2016 in her first weeks as prime minister amid security concerns. May eventually approved the project and, if Liz Truss is successful in the Tory leadership race, her rumored chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, is understood to be backing Sizewell C. However, the process may also be delayed by a legal challenge from the Together Against Sizewell C campaign, over planning consent for the factory, which was granted against the advice of the independent Planning Inspectorate in July.
title: “Who Will Fund The Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station And When Will It Be Built Nuclear Power Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Emma Coffin”
The decision to offer funding for Sizewell C in Suffolk, in its final week in Downing Street, is expected to unlock significant private funding for the project after years bogged down in planning approvals. However, it would come after Johnson promised not to make major spending decisions before leaving office. Here is the state of the game.
What is Sizewell C?
The power station is planned to be located next to the existing Sizewell B nuclear reactor on the Suffolk coast. When completed, the estimated 3.2 gigawatt plant will be capable of generating electricity for 6 million homes for up to 60 years. Sizewell C is expected to fill a gap in Britain’s nuclear capabilities – most UK plants will close by 2030. Sizewell B is due to close in 2035, although its life may be extended.
How is it going to be financed?
The plans were initially developed by France’s EDF, which owns 80% of the project, and China’s state-owned nuclear power company CGN, which owns 20%. But ministers are keen to avoid further Chinese involvement in UK nuclear facilities amid worsening relations between Britain and China. CGN owns a stake in Hinkley Point C – the delayed and over-budget plant in Somerset on which plans for Sizewell are based. The UK government and EDF are expected to take a 20% stake each, while Barclays bankers have been tasked by officials with finding investors for the rest. Special pension and infrastructure funds are considered the most likely candidates for investment.
How much will it cost?
Estimates have risen from £20 billion to a current range of £20 billion to £30 billion. The government will make the final decision on how much taxpayers’ money – believed to be around £6bn – will be made available next year. Ministers have already committed £100m to the project and plan to use a so-called ‘asset-adjusted base’ funding model. RAB financing provides investors with a defined return during the construction phase of a project, reducing risk to encourage participation in critical infrastructure deals. However, it shifts the risk of delays and additional costs to taxpayers. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has estimated that taxpayer support will add an extra £1 a month to household bills. However, research from the University of Greenwich business school seen by the Guardian shows that the average monthly cost can be as high as £2.12, or £25.40 a year. The average estimate in the study put the combined costs at £35 billion, or £2.3 billion a year.
When will it be built?
The site is a critical pillar in Johnson’s plan to greenlight eight new nuclear reactors over the next eight years. However, the approval process suffered multiple delays. The progress of Hinkley Point C – which earlier this year pushed its opening to June 2027, a decade later than planned – has not provided an encouraging plan. The University of Greenwich predicts it will take 15 years to build Sizewell C, or 17 years under its worst forecast, and cost £43.8bn. Greg Clarke, the leveling secretary, this week unveiled proposals designed to speed up the approval of nuclear power stations and offshore wind farms. The fast-track process will also apply to major roads and airport runways.
What are the objections to Sizewell C?
The project has faced pushback on several fronts from critics who say nuclear projects are too slow to build and are expensive, as well as those concerned about safety and nuclear waste. Campaigners question the track record of the proposed pressurized water reactor for the site and the cost to consumers. Opponents also worry whether the local infrastructure can handle a site that could bring 6,000 workers to the area and thousands of additional vehicles. The threat to water supplies in an area officially classified as severely water stressed and the risk of coastal erosion and flooding have also been raised.
What happens next?
A final decision is expected from the government on the project next year. With Johnson’s decision ahead of his departure, the situation has echoes of Hinkley Point C, when Theresa May put the project on hold in 2016 in her first weeks as prime minister amid security concerns. May eventually approved the project and, if Liz Truss is successful in the Tory leadership race, her rumored chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, is understood to be backing Sizewell C. However, the process may also be delayed by a legal challenge from the Together Against Sizewell C campaign, over planning consent for the factory, which was granted against the advice of the independent Planning Inspectorate in July.
title: “Who Will Fund The Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station And When Will It Be Built Nuclear Power Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-15” author: “Mildred Petry”
The decision to offer funding for Sizewell C in Suffolk, in its final week in Downing Street, is expected to unlock significant private funding for the project after years bogged down in planning approvals. However, it would come after Johnson promised not to make major spending decisions before leaving office. Here is the state of the game.
What is Sizewell C?
The power station is planned to be located next to the existing Sizewell B nuclear reactor on the Suffolk coast. When completed, the estimated 3.2 gigawatt plant will be capable of generating electricity for 6 million homes for up to 60 years. Sizewell C is expected to fill a gap in Britain’s nuclear capabilities – most UK plants will close by 2030. Sizewell B is due to close in 2035, although its life may be extended.
How is it going to be financed?
The plans were initially developed by France’s EDF, which owns 80% of the project, and China’s state-owned nuclear power company CGN, which owns 20%. But ministers are keen to avoid further Chinese involvement in UK nuclear facilities amid worsening relations between Britain and China. CGN owns a stake in Hinkley Point C – the delayed and over-budget plant in Somerset on which plans for Sizewell are based. The UK government and EDF are expected to take a 20% stake each, while Barclays bankers have been tasked by officials with finding investors for the rest. Special pension and infrastructure funds are considered the most likely candidates for investment.
How much will it cost?
Estimates have risen from £20 billion to a current range of £20 billion to £30 billion. The government will make the final decision on how much taxpayers’ money – believed to be around £6bn – will be made available next year. Ministers have already committed £100m to the project and plan to use a so-called ‘asset-adjusted base’ funding model. RAB financing provides investors with a defined return during the construction phase of a project, reducing risk to encourage participation in critical infrastructure deals. However, it shifts the risk of delays and additional costs to taxpayers. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has estimated that taxpayer support will add an extra £1 a month to household bills. However, research from the University of Greenwich business school seen by the Guardian shows that the average monthly cost can be as high as £2.12, or £25.40 a year. The average estimate in the study put the combined costs at £35 billion, or £2.3 billion a year.
When will it be built?
The site is a critical pillar in Johnson’s plan to greenlight eight new nuclear reactors over the next eight years. However, the approval process suffered multiple delays. The progress of Hinkley Point C – which earlier this year pushed its opening to June 2027, a decade later than planned – has not provided an encouraging plan. The University of Greenwich predicts it will take 15 years to build Sizewell C, or 17 years under its worst forecast, and cost £43.8bn. Greg Clarke, the leveling secretary, this week unveiled proposals designed to speed up the approval of nuclear power stations and offshore wind farms. The fast-track process will also apply to major roads and airport runways.
What are the objections to Sizewell C?
The project has faced pushback on several fronts from critics who say nuclear projects are too slow to build and are expensive, as well as those concerned about safety and nuclear waste. Campaigners question the track record of the proposed pressurized water reactor for the site and the cost to consumers. Opponents also worry whether the local infrastructure can handle a site that could bring 6,000 workers to the area and thousands of additional vehicles. The threat to water supplies in an area officially classified as severely water stressed and the risk of coastal erosion and flooding have also been raised.
What happens next?
A final decision is expected from the government on the project next year. With Johnson’s decision ahead of his departure, the situation has echoes of Hinkley Point C, when Theresa May put the project on hold in 2016 in her first weeks as prime minister amid security concerns. May eventually approved the project and, if Liz Truss is successful in the Tory leadership race, her rumored chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, is understood to be backing Sizewell C. However, the process may also be delayed by a legal challenge from the Together Against Sizewell C campaign, over planning consent for the factory, which was granted against the advice of the independent Planning Inspectorate in July.