Campaigner’s are set to argue why Sizewell C should be blocked in London’s high court on Wednesday, showering doubt on the proposed nuclear power plant.
Set to mirror the design of Hinkley Point C, which itself has faced repeated delays and rising costs, Sizewell C will be built on the Suffolk coast, costing as much as £35bn, bordering an RSPB nature reserve at Minsmere.
As a result, claimants are arguing that former energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng did not assess the environmental impacts of building the plant before giving it the go ahead in July.
Campaign group Together Against Sizewell C, alongside law firm Leigh Day, have accused Kwarteng of breaching regulations by not ordering an assessment into how Sizewell would get its required 2mln litres of water a day, needed for cooling.
“Without a permanent water supply, Sizewell C cannot function. Our client is adamant that this made the supply an essential part of the project that needed to be assessed,” Leigh Day solicitor Rowan Smith commented.
“The failure to do so […] went to the heart of what was legally wrong with the secretary of state’s decision to approve this locally and nationally contentious new nuclear power station.”
The case could provide another headache for project leader EDF Energy and the government, after it committed £700mln to become a 50% stakeholder in Sizewell C in December.
Sizewell C’s sister project Hinkley Point C, also headed by EDF, has been consistently hit by rising costs and delays, having been anticipated to open before 2020 at a cost of around £16bn, but is now set to join the grid in 2027 with a hefty £32.7bn price tag.
Though EDF suggests the plant at Sizewell will be cheaper, since it will be an effective copy of Hinkley Point C, concerns have already appeared over funding for the project.
Barclays was tasked by the government to help secure £20bn of private investment for Sizewell last June, but a senior industry executive told the Financial Times last month this would be a lengthy process, with the upcoming general election also likely to prompt delays.
“Potential investors will want to know the project preparation, including the status of all engineering drawings, construction planning and especially the project management arrangements,” they said.
Since it will be based off of the Somerset site, it may be safe to assume General Electric (NYSE:GE), which is supplying Hinkley’s turbine, and constructors Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues TP, could be involved in building Sizewell.
Despite this, hundreds of names, including Kier Group PLC (LSE:KIE) have appeared to publicly back the plant by joining the Sizewell C Consortium, while Centrica PLC (LSE:CNA) is also rumoured to be eyeing a stake in the project.
EDF was approached for comment.