What is Sizewell C – and why is it so controversial?

The UK is one step closer to a new nuclear power plant after the government announced a further £14.2bn in funding.

Sizewell C, near the town of Leiston on the Suffolk coast, is due to be up and running by the mid-2030s.

While the government claims the new facility represents a “golden age of clean energy” and says it will create thousands of jobs – those against it warn of the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear accident and damage to the local environment.

Here we look at what is due to be built at the Sizewell site – and why the project is so controversial.

What is Sizewell C?

The new site will house two nuclear reactors – generating up to 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power six million homes.

The government says it could meet 7% of the country’s total energy needs for up to 60 years.

It was initially proposed by the French energy company EDF and China’s General Nuclear Power Group, but the previous government bought the Chinese company out of its 20% stake in 2022.

Together, the UK government and EDF now own 83.5% of the site.

It is located near Sizewell beach – next to Sizewell A, a decommissioned nuclear site that opened in 1967, and Sizewell B, which is still running – and was the last nuclear site to open in the UK in 1995.

Previous funding announcements mean the state has now invested a total of £17.8bn, with a final funding model due to be released this summer after private investors are secured to bridge the gap to the total £20bn cost.

Taxpayer money is expected to contribute £700m.