Together Against Sizewell C: Seasons Greetings

As 2024 draws to a close, TASC would like to thank all those who have supported our campaign and continue to do so. We wish you all a merry and peaceful Christmas.

Although there has been a ‘change’ of government, Labour continues the Tory rhetoric of gaslighting the British public regarding the purported benefits of nuclear power. We say, Sizewell C is not ‘clean’, ‘homegrown’ nor sustainable, is expensive and doesn’t provide energy security – see TASC’s Twitter response to Ed Miliband’s recent speech https://x.com/SayNo2SizewellC/status/186514600735007977

TASC continue to challenge government, in particular their claims that nuclear is ‘clean’ – see letter of 20th December to Ed Miliband https://tasizewellc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Letter-to-Secretary-of-State-Ed-Miliband-20241220.pdf

“It is a truism to say that, if the same thing is repeated enough times, it will soon be accepted as a fact by most people forming their opinions from what they read in the populist media. Nuclear is ‘carbon free’ is one such oft-repeated ‘fact’ which is untrue. Nuclear power is ‘clean power’, is another. Politicians who believe in either of these ‘truths’, freely uttered unconditionally, unchallenged and as frequently as they can, blatantly ignore the wealth of information which demonstrates that, across the nuclear fuel chain, from uranium mining, to fuel fabrication, plant construction over a 15 year period, operating the plant for 60 years, refuelling, storage of waste and the eventual disposal of that waste in a geological disposal facility – mooted 17 years ago but still nowhere in sight – nuclear power is neither clean nor zero carbon.”

And our letter of 25th November to Energy Minister, Lord Hunt,https://tasizewellc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241125-letter-3-to-Lord-Hunt.pdf   in response to his letter of 7th November https://tasizewellc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/reply-from-deznz-7.11.24.pdf

“When EDF first proposed Sizewell C, they budgeted the costs to get to FID to be £458 million. With a £2.5 billion spend by the previous Tory government, £5.5 billion authorised by this government under the Devex Scheme and an estimated £700 million invested by EDF, the cost of getting to FID is approximately 1,900% of the original budget.

Even by EDF’s previous underbudgeting history, this uplift is quite staggering, yet there has been no explanation of why these costs are so adrift. “ 

Since we wrote to Lord Hunt, we have discovered that the Labour government gave an additional  £1.2 billion to Sizewell C Ltd on 20th September but made no announcement and kept it secret until 5th December when it was acknowledged on the Subsidy database. This undermines any claims that Labour makes regarding openness and transparency. Indeed, even the previous Tory government publicised their contributions to stop the Sizewell C project from collapsing.  One can only assume this government is embarrassed and realises that there are far more deserving causes than propping up the ailing French nuclear industry by splurging £billions of taxpayers’ money on the Sizewell C white elephant.

Despite claims that Sizewell C is ‘happening’, it is clear that the project is struggling to find investors willing to take the risk of a stake in Sizewell C. It is telling how desperate this government is to find would-be investors, as evidenced by Keir Starmer’s recent trip to the Middle East with begging bowl in hand – see https://x.com/SayNo2SizewellC/status/1865802789814669501

“In 2022, @Keir_Starmer accused #BorisJohnson of “going cap in hand from dictator to dictator” https://theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/07/starmer-to-meet-saudi-crown-prince-in-push-for-infrastructure-cash… Now this- hypocritical #Starmer goes cap in hand to Saudi/UAE “to get more investors on board with Sizewell C, after a capital raise process has dragged on…”

And now we have Rachel Reeves planned trip to China  https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-finance-minister-revive-regular-economic-talks-with-china-january-trip-2024-12-20/  will Sizewell C be on the agenda?

In a further development, the government recently published its ‘Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: A new era of Clean Electricity’ report. Interestingly, on page 25, it states that by 2030

“We expect delivering a clean power system with these characteristics will make Great Britain a net exporter of electricity…”

This suggests that when, if ever,  Sizewell C comes online in the late 2030s it will be surplus to requirements, thereby undermining the claim during the DCO examination that Sizewell C is needed on grounds of ‘Imperative Reasons of Overriding National Importance’.

TASC remains extremely concerned at the amount of environmental devastation being inflicted by Sizewell C despite there being no final investment decision, without which the project will not go ahead. TASC has pressed this issue with Lord Hunt and local MP, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter and will continue to do so in the future.

We urge all those concerned about the environmental damage even though the project may not proceed, to write to their local district Councillors, County Councillors and MP.

 One of the many ‘mountains’ of earth now appearing around the Suffolk countryside which SZC Co seems very proud of. Pic SZC

 As the New Year approaches we send our warmest wishes for a year filled with Peace and Happiness.