The UK government has announced a landmark £14.2 billion investment to kickstart the construction of Sizewell C, a new nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast, marking what Chancellor Rachel Reeves called “the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation.”
Announced ahead of Wednesday’s Spending Review, the funding is intended to boost the UK’s long-term energy security, create thousands of jobs, and accelerate the shift to low-carbon energy.
According to the Treasury, Sizewell C will create 10,000 direct jobs during construction and support thousands more in supply chains across the UK. Once operational, it will power six million homes and provide a reliable source of low-carbon electricity.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the project was vital to “take back control of our energy and tackle the climate crisis,” describing it as a cornerstone of the government’s plan to eliminate fossil fuels from the national grid by 2030. “This is a golden age of clean energy,” Miliband stated, defending the significant financial commitment.
The new plant, a copy of the Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, is expected to take at least a decade to complete. Hinkley Point C, which began construction in 2016, has been beset by delays and cost overruns, with its operational date pushed into the early 2030s. Critics warn Sizewell C could follow a similar trajectory.
Alison Downes, director of the campaign group Stop Sizewell C, strongly condemned the government’s move. “There still appears to be no final investment decision for Sizewell C, but £14.2bn in taxpayers’ funding has been committed — a decision we condemn and firmly believe the government will come to regret,” she said.
Downes also questioned the transparency of the project’s financing. “Ministers have not come clean about the true cost of Sizewell C,” she added, pointing out that negotiations with private investors remain unresolved.
The formal process to raise private capital began in September 2023. EDF, the French state-owned energy company, holds a 15% stake in the project, and officials have insisted there is significant interest from other investors. A final decision on the funding model is expected later this summer.
Despite the economic benefits touted by ministers, local and national opposition remains strong. On Saturday, around 300 demonstrators gathered on Sizewell beach to protest the plant’s construction, citing environmental concerns and fears over landscape disruption.
Downes compared the project to the troubled HS2 railway scheme, warning that Sizewell C could similarly spiral in cost and add to household energy bills. “Starmer and Reeves have just signed up to HS2 mark 2,” she said.
Beyond nuclear fission, the government also announced £2.5bn in funding over five years for research into fusion energy. Additional investment will support the defence nuclear sector, including facilities at HMNB Clyde and Sheffield Forgemasters.
Sizewell C was originally backed by the previous Conservative government in 2022. With land clearance already underway, the Labour government’s latest commitment signals firm support for large-scale nuclear infrastructure, despite the political and environmental backlash.
