UK approves new nuclear power station; Activists eye appeal

Jul 20, 2022, 7:02 AM | Updated: 11:50 am

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government on Wednesday gave the green light to a new nuclear power station that’s expected to generate enough low-carbon electricity to power 6 million homes.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said development consent was granted for the building of the plant, called Sizewell C, on eastern England’s Suffolk coast.

French energy company EDF, which will partly fund the project, has said the plant will generate electricity for at least 60 years and will employ 900 people. The plant will reportedly cost 20 billion pounds ($24 billion).

Authorities say the plant will make a substantial contribution toward Britain’s target of making up to a quarter of the power consumed in the country come from nuclear by 2050.

Julia Pyke, financing director for the project, said the benefits to consumers in the long term will outweigh the costs of construction.

“Sizewell C will give a big boost to jobs and skills in nuclear supply chain companies across the country. It will strengthen the U.K.’s energy security and play a key role in our fight against climate change,” she said.

But critics have said nuclear plants are far more expensive and slow to build compared with renewable energy options such as solar and wind power. Environmental groups have also argued Sizewell C will damage local nature reserves that host wildlife like otters and marsh birds.

The U.K. wants to reduce its dependence on imported oil and gas, especially in light of soaring energy prices amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and generate cheaper, cleaner power domestically.

The government has said it wants 95% of British electricity to come from low-carbon sources by 2030. In an energy security strategy document published April, authorities also said they want Britain to lead the world once again in nuclear power, a technology the British once pioneered.

Nuclear currently provides about 15% of the U.K.’s electricity, but five of the country’s six existing nuclear plants will be decommissioned within the decade. Sizewell C will be among two new nuclear plants in construction — the other plant, Hinkley C, is expected to open in mid-2026 after a series of delays.

The activist group Stop Sizewell C said it will consider appealing the government’s decision to approve the plant.

“Whether it is the impact on consumers, the massive costs and delays, the outstanding technical questions or the environmental impacts, it remains a bad project and a very bad risk,” the group said.

Britain’s government has committed 100 million pounds to developing the project and negotiations on raising funds for it are ongoing.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at h ttps://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
2 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
5 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
5 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
11 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
19 days ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
(Desert Institute for Spine Care photo)...
DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Why DISC is world renowned for back and neck pain treatments

Fifty percent of Americans and 90% of people at least 50 years old have some level of degenerative disc disease.
UK approves new nuclear power station; Activists eye appeal