Sizewell C investment a boost for UK nuclear power plans

Michael Freeman and Graham Alty were commenting after the government launched a major expansion of its nuclear programme.

Alty said: "This is great news for energy security in the UK, fantastic for British industries and a huge boost for country-wide employment."

The Sizewell C project will receive £14.2 billion in UK government funding as part of the latest spending review. The investment, part of the government's broader "Plan for Change", aimed at revitalising the economy and ensuring long-term energy security, will provide electricity to the equivalent of six million homes, aiming to significantly reduce the UK's reliance on imported fossil fuels. The project is expected to generate 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships, and support thousands more across the UK supply chain.

In a parallel announcement, Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected as the preferred partner to develop the UK’s first small modular reactors (SMRs). These compact, factory-built reactors are designed to be faster and cheaper to construct than traditional gigawatt-scale nuclear plants, with the potential to revolutionise the energy sector and play a significant role in the country’s journey towards net zero. The SMR programme, backed by over £2.5 billion in government funding, could support up to 3,000 skilled jobs at peak construction and power around three million homes. The Rolls-Royce SMRs will be developed in partnership with Great British Energy – Nuclear, a newly rebranded public energy company (formerly known as Great British Nuclear) tasked with delivering clean power infrastructure. 

Rolls-Royce’s selection follows a two-year competition to identify the most viable SMR technology for UK deployment. Contracts are expected to be signed later this year, with site allocation and grid connection targeted for mid-2030s. 

With Sizewell C and the SMR programme moving forward, the UK is poised to deliver more nuclear to the grid in the 2030s than the past 50 years combined. 

Alty said: "It is great to see the momentum really stepping up now. Many of us have been working on these projects for a few years, but certainty around the huge investment into the Sizewell C project and the Rolls-Royce SMR selection indicate a step change in progress."