The British government promised on Tuesday to invest 14.2 billion pounds (almost 17 billion euros) in the Sizewell C project of the EPR nuclear reactors in the east of the United Kingdom, transported by the French energy company EDF.
This sum is added to the billions already presented to this project by the British Executive, which did not specify an amount to the AFP. It also specifies that it has not yet made its “final investment decision”, a priori expected in early July on the occasion of a summit between Paris and London, according to the British press.
A cost of 24 to 36 billion euros
This commitment, for which the deadline is not specified, is one of the budget ads of Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, which must detail their expenses and investment priorities on Wednesday for the coming years, defense and health in mind.
The Sizewell C plant, which must consist of two EPR reactors, each with a power of 1.6 gigawatts, could cost a total of 20 to 30 billion pounds (24 to 36 billion euros), or even more depending on the estimates disputed by the Government. You should not start your electricity production before 2035.
The Executive announced in November 2022, taking a direct participation of 50%, in parallel with the launch of the Chinese CGN, initially a partner. The British government is now a majority shareholder in Sizewell C, EDF said in January. With a fleet of nuclear plants that age administered by the energetic French, the United Kingdom has rejected the development of this energy since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in the name of its energy safety.
The Labor Government, who took over the conservatives in July, is part of the same line and says he wants to implement “the largest nuclear construction program in a generation.” He also announced Tuesday in his press release “a record investment in research and development” on nuclear fusion of “more than 2.5 billion pounds in 5 years.”
Source: BFM TV
