EDF submits Sizewell C planning application

If built, the power station’s two reactors would help to generate seven per cent of the UK’s electricity.

EDF begins public consultation for new Sizewell nuclear plant

Sizewell C managing director Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson CBE said the project would ‘kick start the economy following the Coronavirus crisis’.

“On top of the economic benefits, Sizewell C will avoid nine million tonnes of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere each year,” he said in a statement. “The project will play a key role in lowering emissions while helping the UK keep control of its low carbon future.”

The Planning Inspectorate will now assess whether the Development Consent Order (DCO) is complete over the course of 28 days.

EDF said it had deferred the DCO application for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If the application is accepted, the company added that extra measures will be put in place for local communities to examine the proposals once they are published. These include extending the pre-examination period to allow more time for interested parties to register with the Planning Inspectorate.

The new power station is predicted to generate 25,000 job opportunities with 1,000 apprenticeships created during construction and up to 70 per cent of the construction value will be spent in the UK. Once operational, Sizewell C is expected to employ 900 people on site.

The application for a DCO follows four rounds of public consultation which began in 2012.

“Sizewell C’s DCO application is momentous for businesses and residents in Suffolk,” said John Dugmore, chief executive, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. “It will boost training and employment opportunities across the county and attract investment to regenerate rural areas and towns.”

A final decision on the DCO application will be taken by the government.