The Environment Agency has issued three new environmental permits
today to NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited for a new
nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. The permits
are required for the station to operate and will allow it to:
- dispose of and discharge radioactive waste (radioactive
substances activity permit)
- operate standby power supply systems using diesel generators
(combustion activity permit)
- discharge returned abstracted seawater (from the cooling
water system and 2 fish recovery and returns systems) and other
liquid trade effluents (including treated sewage effluent) to the
Greater Sizewell Bay – North Sea (water discharge activity
permit)
NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited applied to the
Environment Agency for three environmental permits in May 2020.
The Environment Agency consulted on the application from July to
October 2020 and on their proposed decision and draft permits
from July to September 2022.
Each of the three permits is an important regulatory permission
that the company requires to operate Sizewell C nuclear power
station. They include the limits and conditions that the company
needs to put in place to ensure high standards of environmental
protection during commissioning, operation and decommissioning.
The company will need to continue to apply for a range of
environmental permits relating to site investigation,
construction works and for relevant “associated developments”
such as workers’ accommodation.
The Environment Agency’s Sizewell C Project Manager,
Simon Barlow, said:
Today’s decision to issue the three permits for these operational
activities comes after 10 years of pre-application discussions,
three years of technical assessments and two public
consultations. In reaching this decision we carefully considered
all the responses from a wide range of stakeholders in the local
community, national organisations and statutory consultees.
I would like to thank everyone for contributing their evidence
and views and attending our consultation events. We will continue
our engagement with the local community as the company moves
forward with its plans for construction of the nuclear power
station.
The documents we are publishing today provide detailed
explanations of our decisions, show how we have considered all
the relevant factors and explain our reasoning. By granting these
permits many years ahead of Sizewell C operating, we can
positively influence the design, procurement, and commissioning
of the power station, whilst also ensuring that people and the
environment are protected.
The decision documents, a public summary and permits are
available on the Environment Agency’s
website.
If you would like to sign up for Environment Agency e-bulletins
about the work and regulation of the Sizewell C project, contact
nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk
About us
The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator
for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear
power stations meet high standards of environmental protection.
The Environment Agency regulates specific environmental matters
at nuclear sites in England by issuing environmental permits.
These permits cover site preparation, construction, operation and
decommissioning.
Any company that wants to operate a nuclear power station must
show that it can build, commission, operate and decommission it
safely and securely, whilst protecting the environment and
managing radioactive waste.
We also work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation
(ONR), which regulates the safety and security aspects of the
Sizewell nuclear sites.
We have previously worked with the Office for Nuclear Regulation
to carry out Generic Design Assessment (GDA) on the design
proposed for Sizewell C, known as EDF-Areva’s UK EPR™. That
assessment process ended in December 2012 and the Environment
Agency and ONR concluded that the reactor design is ‘acceptable’.
This means that people and the environment will be properly
protected if this reactor design is constructed and operated in
the UK. This design is currently under construction at Hinkley
Point C in Somerset.
As well as regulating the proposed site, through these
environmental permits, the Environment Agency also provides
advice and information to the Planning Inspectorate, including
the protection of water quality and ecology, and flood and
coastal risk management.
What happens next
There will be further opportunities to input into our
decision-making for environmental permits for this site.
NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) Limited will need to apply
for a range of environmental permits relating to site
investigation, construction works and for relevant ‘associated
developments’ such as workers’ accommodation. We may also receive
applications for changes (variations) to the 3 operational
permits and for other environmental permits related to work at
the site.
For further information about our role in nuclear new build,
visit our website.
