Good morning,
Many of you will be aware of the publication of the Government’s British Energy Security Strategy. The strategy sets out how Great Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, with the aim of seeing 95% of electricity by 2030 being low carbon.
You can find the Government’s press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-acceleration-of-homegrown-power-in-britains-plan-for-greater-energy-independence
The strategy clearly includes positive news both for Sizewell B and Sizewell C. You can find our statement here:https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/sizewell-c/news-views/sizewell-c-and-new-uk-energy-strategy
It is important to note that a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build the Sizewell C Project is still being considered following the examination of the planning application last year. We anticipate that decision will be announced in late May and we will of course notify all interested parties as soon as we hear the outcome. Should the DCO be granted, we will work with local communities, councils, businesses and all stakeholders to help make Sizewell C do the power of good for East Suffolk.
If you have any questions, we are as always available on freephone 0800 197 6102 or by email at info@sizewellc.co.uk
Best regards,
Tom
Tom McGarry
Head of Regional External Affairs and Development, Sizewell C
Nuclear Development
Sizewell C project Update March 2022
Good Morning and welcome to our latest monthly update on developments on the Sizewell C project.
Team update
The Sizewell C Project was delighted to welcome Michelle Emmerson-Grey to the team last week, who joined as our new Community Relations Manager. Michelle has worked in various communications-focused roles in Suffolk, in particular in the education and arts sectors. Her role on Sizewell C will be focused on engaging with local residents to keep them informed and to ensure that their issues and concerns are fed back to the project team.
Michelle will be working with Andy Mower, Senior Community Relations Manager, and Tom McGarry, the Head of Regional External Affairs and Development, as we meet with community groups and parishes ahead of the decision on the application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build Sizewell C.
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Surveys
We are continuing to undertake surveys in East Suffolk to ensure that, if Sizewell C reaches the construction phase, it is able to progress as safely and efficiently as possible.
Next Monday, our contractors VolkerFitzpatrick will begin digging trial holes at various locations along the A12 and on roads in Leiston, to assess the state of underground utilities infrastructure. These works will inform the detailed design of the Associated Developments, such as the Two Villages Bypass, the Sizewell Link Road, and the Yoxford Roundabout.
The works on the A12 will be conducted overnight in order to minimise disruption; in Leiston most of the trial holes will be dug during the day, but there will also be three nights of work and a 30mph speed restriction along Abbey Road and Lover’s Lane.
It is important to note that during these night-time works, some sections of the A12 between Yoxford and Friday Street may require the road to operate on a single lane with traffic lights at either end. Again, we are working at night to minimise disruption and aim to complete the works within four weeks.
Topographical surveys at various locations along the B1122 are continuing, as are archaeological digs on private land near the proposed Sizewell Link Road. With so much activity ongoing we have been evaluating new approaches to keeping local stakeholders informed, and will soon be launching a website that will allow residents and their representatives to see day-by-day information about survey activities in their communities.
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Skills and careers
Sizewell C marked International Women’s Day on 8 March by joining Women Into Construction, an independent organisation that promotes gender equality in the sector. Our Civil Programme Director, Sarah Williamson, who announced our membership at an event in Ipswich on the day, affirmed Sizewell C Company’s commitment to recruiting 40% women into the business and working with culture change organisations to promote gender equality.
Last week members of the team hosted an exhibition stand at the Norfolk and Suffolk Skills and Careers Festival at the Norfolk Showground. Over a busy couple of days we spoke to hundreds of students from around East Anglia who were interested in a future in the nuclear power industry, highlighting some of the key skills required and the wide range of career options available.
Ukraine
At Sizewell and across the company, EDF employees have responded to the tragic events in Ukraine. We will be donating £50,000 to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). This is the charity that the EDF Group Foundation in France is also supporting.
UNHCR is working with authorities, UN agencies, internally displaced community groups and partners to provide humanitarian assistance. Colleagues are also supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee and the British Red Cross.
What’s next
On 25 February, the Planning Inspectorate submitted its Recommendation Report on whether to grant Sizewell C a Development Consent Order to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Secretary of State is expected to announce a decision on the application by 25 May.
The government’s Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill, which would establish the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) as a funding model for large-scale nuclear power projects in the UK, is continuing its progress through Parliament. On 24 March, the proposed legislation will reach Report Stage in the House of Lords, giving Peers the opportunity to propose amendments to the Bill. The Regulated Asset Base funding model could potentially be applied to Sizewell C.
Locally, the Leiston team will continue over the next couple of months to meet with parish councils and other organisations to discuss how we intend to maximise the opportunities that Sizewell C will bring while minimising disruption to communities during the construction phase.
As ever, if you have any questions or issues you’d like to raise, or would like to have a meeting or presentation, feel free to contact the Project Team in Leiston, by email (info@sizewellc.co.uk) or freephone (0800 197 6102).
Kind regards
The Sizewell C Project Team
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