Sizewell C passes planning milestone

EDF expects to take FID on the nuclear project next year

The UK government has granted planning permission for the construction of Sizewell C, a 3.2GW nuclear power project developed by French energy company EDF. “[The government’s planning consent] is a big endorsement of our proposals and supports our view that this is the right project in the right place,” says Carly Vince, the project’s chief planning officer. EDF claims Sizewell C will avoid 9mn t of CO₂ emissions compared with a gas power plant of equivalent size. The project will follow the design of EDF’s other flagship nuclear project, Hinkley Point C, which has seen its construction costs balloon to £25-26bn ($29.9-31.0bn) amid major delays. EDF plans to take FID on Sizewell C in 2023 an