Sizewell C secures 30 acre Ipswich and Lowestoft port stores

One 15-acre storage site will be at the Port of Ipswich and the other two totalling 15 acres at the Port of Lowestoft and are part of plans to move the majority of the construction materials that will be required to build the nuclear power station at Leiston via sea and rail.

Sizewell C's transport strategy is for 60% of material to be delivered via sea and rail in order to take pressure off Suffolk's road network and reduce freight movements around local towns and villages.

But storage space is limited, so securing it early on in the project is seen as crucial.

The deal with the ports' owners Associated British Ports (ABP) "provides certainty and confidence for delivery planning, while granting optionality and flexibility to account for possible changes in the future", said the new nuclear site's developers. 

Sizewell C joint managing director Julia Pyke said it was a "key step" in delivering the company's pledge to keep disruption to local communities to a minimum and transport the majority of freight using sea and rail to reduce the number of HGVs on local roads.  

"These strategically significant areas of land at the Ports of Lowestoft and Ipswich will help ensure we have the right space available to keep the project running smoothly,” she said.

 ABP regional director Julian Walker said: “ABP's ports in East Anglia are ideal as key hubs for handling construction materials and play a key role in more sustainable supply chains.

"That's demonstrated by the selection of Lowestoft and Ipswich to support the development of Sizewell C and we are delighted to have concluded this agreement.

"The movement of significant volumes of cargo by rail and sea is a vital step in supporting the project’s transport delivery strategy and Community Pledges.

"We look forward to developing our partnership with Sizewell C to further support the project over the life of the construction period, and beyond.”