UK court: Government approval of Sizewell C nuclear power plant was lawful

The UK Court of Appeal last week confirmed that the government’s approval of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant project was lawful. The group Together Against Sizewell C had filed a lawsuit against the project over its environmental impact. Under current plans, the planned nuclear power plant, with two EPR units, is expected to begin operating by the middle of the next decade.

The new UK nuclear power plant project, Sizewell C, is facing a number of obstacles. One of them was a lawsuit brought by the group Together Against Sizewell C. Although the UK High Court dismissed it in June, according to Reuters, the group appealed the decision. The Court of Appeal ruled last week, upholding the High Court’s original decision.

The group’s representatives argued that the UK government had failed to take into account the project’s impact on the natural environment in terms of its need for cooling water. The UK government approved the new nuclear project, with an installed capacity of 3.2 GW, last summer. At the end of last year, the government then invested hundreds of millions of pounds, in return for which it was to acquire a 50% stake in the project.

The project is still looking for new investors

In September this year, the UK government launched a process to find a new investor. The investor could take over a stake of up to 60%, with the remaining share split equally between the government and France’s EDF. China General Nuclear (CGN), which held a 20% stake, was originally involved in the project too. Following a deterioration in relations between London and Beijing, the UK government decided to buy out CGN’s stake.

This year, the UK government also released hundreds of millions of pounds to help speed up the project. The funds are to be used for preparatory work, including the construction of on-site training facilities for 1,500 future employees.