It makes sense to reconsider costly and inefficient Sizewell C, says IEA energy analyst

Commenting on the news that the Sizewell C nuclear plant is under review, Andy Mayer, Chief Operating Officer and Energy Analyst at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

“Sizewell C is estimated to cost bill payers between £24-63bn¹, take 13-17 years to build, and is based on a French technology platform that has already failed.² It makes sense to reconsider.

"There are small modular reactor alternatives, which if proven and cost effective, and with the right reforms to planning and permitting, could be built much more quickly³, coming on stream before Sizewell.

"The only mystery is why the government is still pressing ahead with Hinkley Point C. It’s the same technology as Sizewell, but estimated to cost twice as much, with a higher probability of the faults now seen in sister plants in France, Finland, and China.”