Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the final investment decision for the Sizewell C plant will be made, and when the results of the small modular reactor competition will be announced.
Answered by Baroness Curran
As confirmed at the Autum Budget, both the equity and debt raise processes are in their final stages. A final decision on whether to proceed with the project will be made at the Spending Review.
Great British Nuclear is driving forward its small modular reactor competition for UK deployment. Following a period of detailed negotiation, bidders have submitted final tenders, which Great British Nuclear is evaluating. Final decisions will be taken shortly.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding his Department has allocated to support Sizewell C nuclear plant in advance of the final investment decision for that plant.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Sizewell C Development Expenditure Subsidy Scheme (DEVEX Scheme) has been made for £5.5bn for the Sizewell C company. Under this scheme to date, £3.9bn has been awarded to the company, in two tranches, one of £1.2bn and one of £2.7bn.
Prior to these awards, the Department had awarded £2.5bn to the project since the Government Investment Decision in November 2022 under the SZC Investment Funding Scheme.
Hence, in total, the Department has to date allocated £6.4bn to the project under both subsidy scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects the final investment decision to be taken in relation to Sizewell C.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A final investment decision on whether to proceed with the Sizewell C project will be taken in Phase 2 of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much public investment has been directed to Sizewell C in each year since 2022.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has announced funding provided to Sizewell C in the following financial years: £100m in 2021/22, £679m in 2022/23, £1,811m in 2023/24 and £1,200m in 2024/25 to date.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the number of foreign nationals employed at (a) Sizewell and (b) Hinckley nuclear power station by country of origin in each year from 2010 to 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department does not collect information on the number of foreign nationals employed on the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C projects.
Access to the critical systems for both reactors would be restricted to UK nationals only. The nuclear license holder will be obliged to meet security standards as set out by the Regulator.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to construct grid connections for Sizewell C.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The policy position outlined in the National Energy System Operator (“NESO”) open letter [https://www.neso.energy/document/349496/download] (published 10th December 2024) indicates that, given Sizewell C received planning consent in July 2022, the existing arrangements for Sizewell C grid connection should be eligible to be grandfathered, subject to NESO’s proposals for reforming the connections process being approved by Ofgem and taking effect.
National Grid Electricity Transmission has also confirmed that Sizewell C will retain the same enabling works identified in previous connection agreements (2007-2009).
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7946 on Sizewell C Power Station: Compensation, what (a) output in MWh his Department has assumed for Hinkley Point C and (b) discounting rate has been applied for sharing First-of-a-Kind costs with Hinkley Point C over the first 35 years of its lifetime; and whether the cost of the discounting rate is included in expenditure eligible for a Sizewell C Regulated Asset Base.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
EDF’s assumed maximum capacity of HPC is 3.2GW, overlaid with assumptions for planned and unplanned outages. There isn’t a specific discounting rate applied to the First-of-a-Kind cost sharing. Instead, the payment for this cost sharing is included in the forecast expenditure eligible for the SZC RAB, along with other eligible project costs; and the consumer costs, driven by the RAB, are discounted at the applicable Social Discount Rate used in the Government’s Value for Money assessment of the SZC project.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of funding from the public purse for Sizewell C has been (a) spent on and (b) committed to companies with headquarters in (i) the UK and (ii) what foreign countries.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The details of contracts agreed by Sizewell C with its suppliers are commercially sensitive. The project has made a commitment to spend 70 per cent of the construction value in the UK.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify sites for and (b) deliver small modular nuclear reactors in the South West.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Nuclear (GBN) completed its purchase of the site at Oldbury-on-Severn (Gloucestershire) in June 2024.
As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, and is now owned by GBN, Oldbury has the potential to host nuclear projects, though no decisions on projects or sites have yet been taken.
In line with manifesto commitments, this Government is working to get Hinkley Point C over the line and will aim to bring forward further nuclear projects at Sizewell C and those involving Small Modular Reactors. As confirmed at the Autumn Budget, Great British Nuclear is progressing the SMR competition and is negotiating with four companies. These companies will be invited to submit final tenders, which will then be evaluated by GBN. Final decisions are intended to be taken in the Spring.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6413 on Sizewell C Power Station: Finance, for what reason disclosure of the proportions of capital allocated by Sizewell C Ltd is considered commercially sensitive; and whether his Department holds that information.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Sizewell C’s spending plans are agreed by shareholders, including Government. The public disclosure of detailed spending plans whilst the project is engaged in live commercial negotiations could have a negative impact on the project’s negotiating position and undermine the project’s value for money.
Sizewell C Ltd publishes an annual report and accounts, which are available to view at Companies House. This sets out expenditure and income for each financial year.
The Department also includes information about amounts invested into the project via its annual report and accounts, which are published and laid before Parliament.