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News Sizewell C gets go-ahead as UK pushes forward with nuclear power expansion The UK Government is making good on the promises of its energy security strategy by giving the go-ahead to Sizewell C, a new nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast. As a nationally significant infrastructure project, the decision on whether to approve the project or not was in the hands of Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who has made public his support for the new power station. In fact, Kwarteng advanced plans for funding new nuclear projects in June, which was in addition to the £100 million in Government support Sizewell C received in January. Despite Government funding, Sizewell C will still largely be funded by French energy company EDF, with an expected final cost in the region of £20 billion, which will be cheaper than the estimated £25–£26 billion cost for Hinkley Point C, the first new UK nuclear power station of this generation. Sizewell C will be constructed next to the existing Sizewell B power station, with a total of two reactors set to be operational upon completion of the project. EDF estimates that the two-reactor plant would generate 3.2 GW of electricity, which could be enough to provide 7% of the UK’s total electricity needs. Despite approval, campaigners against the new nuclear power plant plan to launch an appeal, which could further delay construction of Sizewell C. Delays in the commissioning of new nuclear power stations are nothing new to the UK. Hinkley Point C, which was first given the go-ahead by the UK Government in 2008, has been plagued by delays and budget overruns. As of the latest estimate, EDF says the power station should come online as of June 2027. Unsurprisingly, EDF are yet to provide an exact estimate as to when Sizewell C will be operational, simply noting that the project is expected to commence before 2024, with construction taking between nine and 12 years. Of course, it will require a more detailed planning application to pass, as well as dealing with any appeals, first.
UK businesses set to invest £13.6 billion in EV transition in 2022 Businesses across the UK are set to heavily invest in the transition to electric vehicles in 2022, with an estimated £13.6 billion set to be spent this year. With the UK set to ban internal combustion engine vehicles in 2030, businesses are beginning to invest in new fleets that will replace their polluting vehicles. In fact, in 2021, businesses across the UK spent £11.6 billion on electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure in 2021, according to a new study from Centrica Business Solutions. It’s expected that 2022 will see a 15% increase in spend, reaching £13.6 billion by the end of the year, with a lot of that spend being dedicated to overhauling entire fleets of vehicles. In fact, 163,000 electric vehicles are set to join business fleets this year. However, the addition of electric vehicles to fleets isn’t enough, with many companies also committing to the installation of electric vehicle chargers, both at the workplace and at employees’ homes.
6 Electrical Review | July / August 2022
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