Displaying items by tag: nuclear power station

Rachel Reeves has confirmed a £14.2bn investment for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, projected to begin supplying power by the mid-2030s. She hailed it as the dawn of a 'new era of nuclear power’, with the plant expected to power six million homes and create thousands of construction jobs. Keir Starmer emphasised fiscal caution, warning there will be no 'blank cheque' for the decade-long project, with the current funding covering only four years  The plant, to be built  by EDF, sits on an existing nuclear site and comes amid efforts to replace Britain’s ageing nuclear infrastructure. The government also announced a £2.5bn programme for small modular reactors (SMRs), touted as quicker to build and better suited for decentralised energy needs. Though some locals welcome the investment, others decry environmental destruction near the RSPB Minsmere reserve. The Scottish government remains opposed to new nuclear developments. The overall goal is to expand UK nuclear capacity to around 24GW by 2050 to secure clean and reliable electricity.