UK government boosts Sizewell C nuclear funding by £1.3bn

The UK government has added an additional £1.3 billion of funding to support construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant.

The nuclear plant is expected to generate as much as 3.2GW of energy, equating to 7% of the UK’s needs. It will power up to 6 million homes, creating thousands of new jobs.

Additional funding will allow the government to stay on track with its roadmap to quadruple the amount of nuclear power generated by the UK by 2050, boosting it up to 24GW.

As the largest funding package to date, the £1.3 billion will allow early construction works to continue ahead of a final investment decision later this year.

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Nuclear minister Andrew Bowie said the UK is making “fantastic progress” on the Sizewell C plant.

“It’s a win for our energy security and sends a strong message to investors that Britain is serious about its low-carbon, homegrown nuclear-powered future, providing reliable, cheaper power for British families,” he added.

Size Well C joint managing directors Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann commented: “This significant investment underlines the importance of Sizewell C for Britain and is a further sign of confidence in our team to deliver it.”

They added that, with the project now in construction, the funding will allow them to “step up activity” deliver on commitments to local communities.

“Sizewell C will build on the huge contribution of Hinkley Point C in restarting nuclear construction in Britain. It will bring another big boost to British nuclear skills and training, putting the industry in an even better position to deliver the other projects this country needs for its low carbon future.”