Planned nuclear station will supply electricity to equivalent of six million homes
Project company Sizewell C has signed multi-year fuel contracts with Urenco and Framatome for the provision of enriched uranium services and nuclear fuel fabrication for a planned new nuclear power station in southeast England.
The supply contract with multinational enrichment company Urenco for enriched uranium services will support the first six years of the Sizewell C power station’s operation, establishing a secure front-end fuel supply.
The contract will help to support around 1,000 existing jobs at Urenco’s enrichment site at Capenhurst, near Chester in northwest England.
Sizewell C said in a statement that the delivery from Urenco, whose shareholders include the UK government, will deliver a foundation for Sizewell C’s early operational phase.
Sizewell C has also signed a long-term fuel fabrication agreement with France-based Framatome for the first fuel cores and a number of subsequent fuel reloads.
The fuel will first be fabricated using the enriched uranium at Framatome’s factory in Romans, southeastern France, until a planned new UK facility is available. The UK factory will create new jobs and reduce reliance on fuel imports, strengthening the security of fuel supply in this country.
Framatome has previously announced multi-billion-pound contracts with Sizewell C, including the delivery of the two nuclear heat production systems for the project.
Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, joint managing directors of Sizewell C, said the two contracts represent a major moment for Sizewell C and for energy security in the UK. They said the Sizewell C nuclear station, which will have two France-supplied EPR units, each with a net capacity of 1,630-MW, will power 7% of the UK’s energy needs.
Once operational, Sizewell C will supply electricity to the equivalent of six million homes for at least 60 years. At its peak, the project will directly support 10,000 jobs with tens of thousands more in the supply chain, and it will create 1,500 apprenticeships.
Earlier this month, Sizewell C announced that it had awarded Arabelle Solutions, a subsidiary of French state power company EDF, a landmark contract to supply two of the world’s most powerful steam turbines for Sizewell C.
UK’s ‘Clean Energy Superpower’ Mission
The project secured a final investment decision in July, marking a major step forward in the delivery of what the government has called a new “golden age” of nuclear in the UK.
Lord Vallance, the UK’s minister for science, innovation, research and nuclear, said: “Our clean energy superpower mission is not only about strengthening our energy security, but also building resilient, homegrown British supply chains to boost jobs and growth.”
The London-based Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) welcomed the fuel contracts. Chief executive Tom Greatrex said the contracts demonstrate how investment in new nuclear directly supports skilled jobs, clean energy and industrial growth across the country.
He said: “The commitment to develop a new fuel fabrication facility in the UK, alongside continued enrichment work in the northwest, is particularly significant. Together, they will create high-quality jobs, build vital resilience into our supply chain, and strengthen our ability to produce the fuel that powers our nuclear fleet here at home.”
Sizewell C will be a near replica of Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, southwest England, which means construction costs are likely to be lower. The Hinkley Point C project has been delayed until 2029 at the earliest, with the cost potentially increasing to as much as £46bn at today’s prices and EDF blaming Covid, Brexit and inflation.
