The Sizewell C nuclear power station project has received a further financial boost after the government pledged £341million more towards the scheme, bringing its total contribution to more than £1billion.
In July, the EADT revealed the Government would be providing £170m funding for the dual reactor station, on top of the £700m already committed last winter when the state took a 20% stake.
READ MORE: Suffolk: Government confirms support for Sizewell C
Now ministers say the latest tranche of money will enable the site to be prepared for construction, extra components to be bought for the project's supply chain and the workforce to be expanded.
Andrew Bowie, minister for nuclear and networks, said: "Sizewell C will be a significant part of the revival of nuclear energy in this country – providing clean, home-grown power to millions of homes, providing thousands of jobs and ending reliance on foreign electricity to bolster our energy security.
"Today’s funding announcement is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to this vital project and will mean the site will be shovel-ready and work able to start, much more quickly."
READ MORE: Suffolk campaigners vow to continue fighting Sizewell C
Julia Pyke, joint managing director at Sizewell C, said: "This is great news and puts us in an even stronger position to start full construction.
"It will also allow us to implement several community schemes over the next few months.
"We want people living near Sizewell C to see the benefits of the project as soon as possible and we’re looking forward to getting started on a range of proposals which will bring real improvements to the area well before the main construction gets underway.”
However, opposition group Stop Sizewell C questioned why the Government was putting a further £341m towards the European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) design, when France was moving away from this model for its future power stations.
A spokesman for Stop Sizewell C said: "The UK government acquiring a bigger and bigger stake in Sizewell C is letting France and EDF off the hook for their terrible project.
"What a shocking legacy for Sunak's government, to be duped into throwing good taxpayers' money after bad in order to shore up what would almost certainly be the very last EPR reactors built.
"Meanwhile, no one can explain why it is a good idea for the UK to pursue this tortuously difficult technology when the French are moving on to a simpler, cheaper design."
However, a spokesperson for Sizewell C said the EPR reactor design was 'tried and tested' technology.
She highlighted how the Sizewell C project was benefitting the local community, such as through a £5m investment in an early package of measures to support education, employment and community facilities in east Suffolk.
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