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UK Government refuses to release Sizewell C’s predicted price tag

The Department for Energy rejected a freedom of information request from BusinessLive on the Suffolk nuclear project’s costs.

BusinessLive, By Hannah Baker, South West Business Editor, 4 Aug 24

The government is refusing to reveal how much the planned Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk is expected to cost. The Department for Energy turned down a freedom of information (FOI) request by BusinessLive asking for data on the project’s price tag.

Sizewell C, which is being partly funded by French-owned energy giant EDF, is reported to cost in the region of £20bn, though it has been suggested that it could cost more than £30bn.

The Suffolk nuclear station will be a replica of EDF’s Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset, which has been plagued by delays and funding issues over the course of its construction.

The government told BusinessLive that Sizewell’s costs are “subject to ongoing and commercially sensitive negotiations”…………………………….

“The commercial sensitivities mean that on this occasion we consider that the public interest would not be served by its release.”

The FOI request was made before Keir Starmer’s government came to power, but the new Labour-run department said it had “nothing to add” to the response.

…………………….. In 2022, the government was forced to pay state-owned China General Nuclear (CGN) to exit the Suffolk project over growing geo-political tensions. CGN had a 20% stake in Sizewell at the time. Since its removal, the Chinese firm has also halted payments on Hinkley Point C.

It is not known how many companies the current government is courting over Sizewell. In February, Centrica – the parent company of British Gas – confirmed it was in discussions with the previous administration over the project…………..https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/government-refuses-release-sizewell-cs-29655312

August 8, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES, UK