The UK Environment Agency (EA) has issued three new environmental permits to NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited for the new NPP planned at Sizewell in Suffolk. Sizewell C Limited applied to the EA for the permits in May 2020. The Environment Agency consulted on the application from July to October 2020 and on their proposed decision and draft permits from July to September 2022.
Each of the permits provides the regulatory permission that the company requires to operate the plant. They include the limits and conditions that the company must put in place to ensure high standards of environmental protection during commissioning, operation and decommissioning. They include:
A radioactive substances activity permit that allows disposal and discharge of radioactive waste;
A combustion activity permit that allows operation of standby power supply systems using diesel generators; and
A water discharge activity permit. This allows discharge of returned abstracted seawater from the cooling water system and two fish recovery and returns systems. It also allows other liquid trade effluents, including treated sewage effluent, to the Greater Sizewell Bay and North Sea.
EA Sizewell C Project Manager Simon Barlow said the decision comes after 10 years of pre-application discussions, three years of technical assessments and two public consultations. “In reaching this decision we carefully considered all the responses from a wide range of stakeholders in the local community, national organisations and statutory consultees,” he noted. “We will continue our engagement with the local community as the company moves forward with its plans for construction of the nuclear power station.”
He added: “By granting these permits many years ahead of Sizewell C operating, we can positively influence the design, procurement, and commissioning of the power station, whilst also ensuring that people and the environment are protected.”
EA said Sizewell C Limited will still need to apply for a range of environmental permits relating to site investigation, construction works and for relevant ‘associated developments’ such as workers’ accommodation. The decision documents, a public summary and permits are available on the Agency’s website.
In December 2022, Framatome signed an early framework agreement with Nuclear New Build Generation (SZC) Ltd (NNB SZC), which is owned by EDF and the UK government, for the construction of the Sizewell C NPP. The plant will host two EPR reactors that generate 3.2GWe to serve approximately 6m homes in the UK. They will be a replica of the Hinkley Point C NPP, which is expected to provide significant benefits to the new project related to risk minimisation, lower costs and enhanced schedule predictability.
