A specialized nuclear plant equipment company has inked a multi-billion Euro agreement with Sizewell C, a nuclear power plant project in Suffolk, partially financed by French energy firm EDF and slated for development between Aldeburgh and Southwold.
Framatome, the company in question, secured multiple contracts to supply two nuclear heat production systems. CEO Bernard Fontana expressed pride in Framatome’s ongoing support for the UK’s Net Zero target, emphasizing the significance of the endeavor.
Sizewell C, set to generate 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, received building permission in July 2022. EDF asserts that the plant could power approximately six million homes for 60 years.
The project mirrors Hinkley Point C in Somerset, another site Framatome has collaborated on, with an estimated cost of £20 billion and a projected construction timeline of nine years.
Fontana highlighted the project’s reliance on the expertise gained from Hinkley Point C, underscoring the commitment of Framatome’s teams to its success.
However, Alison Downes, representing the Stop Sizewell C campaign group, raised concerns about the financing of the newly signed contract.
She questioned how Sizewell C could secure contracts worth billions of Euros without evidence of funding or a Final Investment Decision.
Downes expressed apprehension about taxpayer money being funneled into the project without clarity on its financial sustainability or potential third-party investment, urging transparency from the government regarding any commitments made.
