GOV.UK: Views sought on Sizewell C nuclear power environmental permits

The Environment Agency has begun a 12-week public consultation on 3 environmental permits for the operation of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station.

It is seeking feedback from the community and all stakeholders between 4 July to 25 September 2022.

NNB Generation Company (Sizewell C) wants to build a new nuclear power station next to Sizewell B in Suffolk. It applied for the 3 environmental permits in May 2020, and the Environment Agency consulted on those applications from 6 July 2020 to 2 October 2020.

Each permit is an important regulatory permission that the company requires for the operation of the power station. They cover controls the company needs to put in place to ensure high standards of environmental protection during commissioning, operation and decommissioning.

If granted, the permits would allow Sizewell C to:

dispose of and discharge radioactive waste (radioactive substances activity permit),
operate standby power supply systems using diesel generators (combustion activity permit), and,
discharge cooling water and liquid effluent into the North Sea (water discharge activity permit).
Public drop-ins will be held, as part of the consultation, where people can meet an Environment Agency specialist. They can discuss the proposed decision documents, draft permits and supporting assessments.

The Environment Agency’s Sizewell C project manager, Simon Barlow, said:

Our proposed decision is that we should issue the permits for the 3 operational activities, subject to the consultation process. These draft permits represent over 10 years of pre-application discussions with EDF SZC Co.

We’ve set out our reasoning in the documents and supporting assessments.

The company has applied for these permits many years ahead of the station operating. If we grant these permits early in the project, it will help us to positively influence the design, procurement, and commissioning of the power station, whilst also ensuring that the environment and wildlife is protected.

We want our decisions to be better-informed through consultation and want to hear people’s views on our proposed decisions.

If you have any relevant information that you feel we have missed, you can provide your comments, which we will carefully consider, before we make our final decision in early 2023.