Sizewell C signs multi-billion euro deal with nuclear reactor business

The planned plant is expected to cost about £20bn

A company that specialises in nuclear plant equipment has signed a multi-billion Euro deal with Sizewell C.

The nuclear power plant, partly funded by the French energy company EDF, is earmarked for land between Aldeburgh and Southwold in Suffolk.

Framatome has been awarded several contracts which will see them deliver two nuclear heat production systems.

Chief executive Bernard Fontana said: "Framatome is proud to continue supporting the UK's Net Zero target."

Sizewell C, on the right, would be built next to Sizewell B, centre, which is still generating, and Sizewell A, far left, which operated until 2006 and is being decommissioned

Building permission for Sizewell C, which will generate 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, was granted in July 2022.

EDF claimed the plant could power the equivalent of about six million homes and generate electricity for 60 years.

The planned plant will be a near-replica of Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which Framatome has also worked on, and is expected to cost about £20bn, and take nine years to build.

Mr Fontana continued: "This project will benefit from the valuable experience garnered from Hinkley Point C and our teams are determined to make it a success."

Alison Downes is a member of Stop Sizewell C, who say it is the "wrong project, wrong time, wrong place"

However, Alison Downes, from the Stop Sizewell C campaign group, wanted to know how the newly-signed contract would be funded.

"How can Sizewell C sign contracts for multi-billions of Euros when there is no evidence it has that kind of money, and a Final Investment Decision has not been made?" she said.

"The capital raise is ongoing and may still fail, and by its own account, EDF reached its financing cap for Sizewell C at the end of 2023, so the only money going in to the project at this point is from taxpayers.

"What secret promises has our government made? Have Ministers guaranteed that taxpayers will foot the bill for Sizewell C regardless of the cost, value for money, or any third party investment?"