UK ousts China from new nuclear project Sizewell

UK ousts China from new nuclear project Sizewell

The Sizewell decision sparks questions about CGN's role alongside EDF in the construction of Hinkley Point, southwestern England
The Sizewell decision sparks questions about CGN's role alongside EDF in the construction of Hinkley Point, southwestern England. Photo: Justin TALLIS / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!

Britain on Tuesday ousted China General Nuclear from construction of its new Sizewell C power station, further cutting controversial economic ties with the world's second biggest economy.

The CGN announcement came one day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that the "golden era" of UK-China relations was "over", adding Beijing posed a "systemic challenge" to UK interests and values.

Tuesday's announcement comes also amid a diplomatic storm over the arrest and alleged assault of a BBC journalist covering Covid protests in China.

Sunak's Conservative government is stripping CGN of its controversial 20-percent Sizewell stake under plans to form a joint venture with remaining French partner EDF.

The UK will invest £700 million ($843 million) in the project, a figure that was matched by EDF.

Sizewell C, which is under development on the Suffolk coast in eastern England, will power the equivalent of about six million homes for more than 50 years.

Read also

Biden's ambitious climate plan stokes tension with EU allies

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

It is expected to start producing electricity from 2035.

'Energy sovereignty'

Nuclear and renewables, such as offshore wind, are seen as critical to ramp up Britain's energy security, after key producer Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent household gas and electricity bills rocketing.

The Sizewell decision sparks questions about CGN's role alongside EDF in the construction of Hinkley Point, southwestern England, in Britain's first new nuclear power plant in more than two decades.

London last month ordered a Chinese-owned company to divest most of Britain's biggest semiconductor maker -- a leading UK industrial asset -- after a national security probe.

And in 2020, Chinese telecoms giant Huawei was banned from involvement in the roll-out of Britain's superfast 5G broadband network, after US concerns about spying.

The UK's "stake in Sizewell C is positioned at the heart of the new blueprint to Britain's energy sovereignty", the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Read also

UK foreign minister brings new aid to Kyiv

The move "also allows for China General Nuclear's exit from the project, including buy-out costs, any tax due and commercial arrangements", it added.

The UK says Sizewell will deliver cleaner energy than fossil fuels and create 10,000 jobs for the local area and national economy.

Greenpeace UK policy director Doug Parr, however, slammed the nuclear push.

"Several academic institutes have shown we can have a 100-percent renewable system that would be cheaper than those based on nuclear or fossil fuels," said Parr.

"And it has the added benefit of not creating millennia of worry over the nuclear waste that future generations will end up dealing with."

UK support 'essential'

The news comes as EDF power plants in France have been dogged by maintenance issues.

"The support of the UK government through its direct participation... is essential" to Sizewell, EDF Energy chief executive Simone Rossi told AFP in an interview.

Read also

India's Adani defends media bid after press freedom fears

"This decision is a sign of confidence in the nuclear industry -- and in the French nuclear industry."

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said Sizewell would move Britain "towards greater energy independence and away from the risks that a reliance on volatile global energy markets for our supply comes with".

The UK has 15 nuclear reactors at eight sites but many are approaching the end of their lifespan.

Sizewell comprises two power plants: Sizewell A, which opened in the 1960s and shut in 2006. Sizewell B, which opened in 1995, is still in operation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that the 'golden era' of UK-China relations was 'over'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned that the 'golden era' of UK-China relations was 'over'. Photo: Daniel LEAL / AFP
Source: AFP

Britain is turning to new plants also to help meet its long-running target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The government on Tuesday added it would create Great British Nuclear, a body overseeing development of more projects.

Britain also launched an official campaign this week to encourage less energy use amid supply risks.

The government is partially subsidising household energy bills -- which have pushed UK inflation to a 41-year peak -- to cushion a cost-of-living crisis.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.