Sizewell C era begins as construction work gets green light

Although it won't be until about April that the first big diggers arrive on site, today marked a significant milestone in the project.

Nuclear minister Andrew Bowie joined local MP Thérèse Coffey, local council and community representatives and nuclear bosses to mark the official start of works.

Mr Bowie hailed it as a "hugely significant day". Even though a general election looms in which polls suggest the Tory party could well be ousted, he insisted that a change in government would make no difference to the project.

The two main parties were "in lockstep" in supporting the next generation of nuclear plants - meaning the plans won't be derailed no matter which of them is in charge, he said.

Government has pledged £1.2bn to the plant and is talking to other investors and he was "confident" that the funding package - or Final Investment Decision - will be in place before the end of this parliament, he said.

So far the overall price tag has not been revealed. Sizewell C says it is "subject to ongoing and commercially sensitive development and negotiations".

Much of the initial works taking place over the next few weeks will be around infrastructure and building the "town" for construction workers involved in the build - which will be one of the largest - if not the largest - engineering project in Europe.

A current site workforce of around 500 is engaged with groundwork preparations as well as ecology and archaeology work.

Over the next year, the number of workers is expected to rise by around another 1,000.  At the peak of construction, there will be 7,900 workers on site. 

Sizewell C joint managing director Nigel Cann - who is in overall charge of construction - said one of his first jobs would be moving around 2 million cubic metres of earth. 

"Over the next two years it's about infrastructure and building the town," he explained. "Our ambition is to have all the foundations in by 2029."

After that, it would take about seven to 10 years to build the plant - meaning it should be operational by the second half of the 2030s.

All the know-how and experience accumulated from the Hinkley Point C new nuclear build in Somerset would reap benefits for the Suffolk plant, he said. 

He had an experienced team, he added. "We remain humble and not complacent but we are a follow-on project from a previous one and we plan to reap all the benefits from that."

Sizewell C chairman Rob Holden hailed the milestone. "It's a fantastic day to day. It's the culmination of a decade of work," he said. "There's momentum built up over the last 12 months that now needs to be maintained."

Suffolk Coastal MP Thérèse Coffey welcomed the triggering of the Development Consent Order. "I think this is a really good day for Suffolk" she said.

But she admitted it had been a long process to get to this point.

"I think it has been very thorough along the way," she said. There would be some disruption during construction but she felt energy giant EDF, which has led the scheme, had been "really positive and constructive in recognising issues".

Joint MD Julia Pyke said the progress to getting the green light that they were celebrating had been "hard work but thorough and rigorous - but incredibly satisfying". 

"I'm a very optimistic person. I have always thought what we are doing is a good thing and that's kept us going - we believe in what we are doing," she said.

While the project bosses hope to minimise disruption on the road network by using rail and sea where possible, they are mindful that issues may arise.

Christine Abraham is set to head up the most important of four community forums to discuss issues. She will chair the communities forum. There are also two transport and one main site development forums.

She was among community representatives to meet with the minister before a short ceremony by the building site. "It was all very positive in there," she said. "It's a momentous moment really today."

But outside the gates of Sizewell B and C, protesters vowed to continue their campaign about the construction of a new nuclear plant at Sizewell.

Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C insisted that the go-ahead was "very much not in the bag" - as that could only happen when the Final Investment Decision (FID) is made.

"The Minister and his aides confirmed that a FID remains some months away at least, but refused to say how much Sizewell C will cost," she said.

"The minister apologised for not fulfilling his promise to meet affected communities, and says he will come back as soon as possible.

"We will do everything we can to hold him to that as it is unacceptable that he has not prioritised giving elected representatives in this area a chance to be heard. We will continue to campaign against this slow, damaging, expensive project."

Green Party parliamentary candidate Julian Cusack said: "There is a real risk that costs and timescale for Sizewell C will overrun and turn the project into a white elephant that is never finished and ends up, like phase 2 of HS2, being cancelled down the line.”

The Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape Partnership (formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) said despite expressing its concerns about the project at the planning stage it would work "proactively" with the company to secure the best outcome from mitigation and compensation payments.

Chairman Nick Collinson said: “The £12m of funds offered through the Natural Environment Improvement Fund offer an outstanding opportunity to invest in wildlife and nature on the Suffolk coast.”

Councillor Andrew Reid, chairman of the National Landscape Advisory Committee, added: “The Suffolk coast is going to see perhaps the biggest civil engineering project in a protected landscape in Europe.

"While there will inevitably there are concerns about the impacts on people and wildlife the decision has been made and we will seek to maximise opportunities arising from it.”

Suffolk County Council deputy leader Richard Rout said the council - which also raised objections to the project - would "hold Sizewell C to account and make sure it meets its commitments to support local communities, mitigates its impact on them, and listens to ongoing concerns and issues from residents and businesses".

“Despite a number of concerns during the planning process, this council has worked hard to ensure that should Sizewell C go ahead, Suffolk will be suitably compensated.

Inside the fence, the mood was upbeat - even amid near-freezing conditions. But the scheme's supporters acknowledged that the new plant would not be universally welcomed.

"That's the trouble with infrastructure - it's only loved when it's finished," said Mr Cann.

Mr Bowie said the benefits of the project to the local community were "huge".  "Of course we respect the opinion of members of the local community," he added. "The fact is this project is moving ahead."