French company signs multi-billion euro deal to work on Sizewell C

A French business has signed a multi-billion euro deal to work with the Sizewell C project - which is planned for the Suffolk coast.

Framatome will be in charge of a number of responsibilities for the nuclear plant:

• Framatome will be responsible for the delivery of the two nuclear heat production systems, from design phase (replicated from Hinkley Point C) and their supply, up to their commissioning
• Framatome will also provide the plant’s safety instrumentation and control syst‎ems

A long-term fuel supply agreement, under which Framatome will fabricate the fuel needed to power the two reactors, as well as a contract for long-term services and maintenance to support the operation of the plant, are also part of the agreements.

“Framatome is proud to continue supporting the UK’s Net Zero target by 2050 by delivering a replica of the Hinkley Point C project at Sizewell C.

"The project will benefit from the valuable experience garnered from Hinkley Point C and our teams are determined to make it a success,” said Bernard Fontana, CEO of Framatome.

A spokesperson from campaign group Stop Sizewell C said: "It's not too late for these investors - whether UK or overseas - to withdraw from the Sizewell C capital raise, and we call on them to do so immediately to protect their finances and their reputation, for Sizewell C has all the makings of another HS2 as well as another Hinkley Point C."

When complete, it's thought Sizewell C will power the equivalent of around six million homes for sixty years.