What is Sizewell C

Sizewell C in Suffolk will see the creation of a 3.2-gigawatt power station to provide reliable low-carbon electricity which does not rely on the weather. The nuclear power produced by the power station will work alongside renewables to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions.

The EPR reactor design has been approved by the UK’s nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and will be an 80% replica of Hinkley Point C which will mean significant benefits with sharing expertise and capabilities. This design means it satisfies Britain’s high and robust standards for nuclear safety.

Once built, Sizewell C will generate low-carbon electricity for at least 60 years and will employ 900 people, in addition to the thousands of jobs needed for maintenance outages.

Sizewell C will be built next to Sizewell B which began operating in 1995 and has so far avoided more than 76 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

On 20 July 2022, the project took a huge step forward with the announcement from government that it is granting us a Development Consent Order (DCO). The DCO is the biggest milestone so far in the approval process and means we now have full planning consent to build the power station in Suffolk.

In May 2024, a Nuclear Site Licence was granted from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) which is the first time a site license has been issued since Hinkley Point C in Somerset in 2012. As a licensee, Sizewell C has a legal responsibility to comply with a range of health and safety legislation and nuclear security regulations. In addition, the project needs to meet 36 conditions attached to the licence, which cover the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of the plant.