Sizewell C Power Station

Written Question

Sizewell B Power Station: Power Failures

Friday 14th July 2023

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) outages and (b) other periods of unavailability of electricity generation there have been per reactor, in days, at Sizewell B power station in each year since 2010.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Nuclear power continues to be an important and proven source of reliable, clean energy, and as a result of this strong baseload provision, we have been able to move faster on a number of our key net zero objectives.

A proportion of the nuclear generating capacity is likely to be unavailable at any given point due to routine inspections, maintenance, energy systems management and technical issues. A certain level of outage is to be expected and demonstrative of a very well regulated and safe technology.

In 2021, nuclear power stations generated 46 TWh of electricity which was 15% of the electricity generated in the UK. The UK’s Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor Fleet is ageing and has performed beyond original expectations providing extra years of generation.

In addition to the AGR fleet, Sizewell B will continue operating until at least 2035 and we have set out our ambition for a new generation of nuclear power stations, providing up to 24GW of electricity by 2050. The new reactor designs are very efficient. This includes new large-scale nuclear power stations like Hinkley Point C which alone will provide 3.2GW for around 60 years, and the next generation of small and advanced reactors are expected to be more efficient.

2010 – 2023 (June): Annual number of outages and non-operational days at UK nuclear power stations

	Dungeness B R21		Dungeness B R22		Hartlepool R1		Hartlepool R2		Heysham 1 R1		Heysham 1 R2		Heysham 2 R7		Heysham 2 R8
	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational
2010	0	230	4	101	3	49	3	86	2	152	3	119	1	5	1	251
2011	4	260	3	249	6	129	2	50	2	22	4	24	2	82	3	32
2012	5	172	2	181	3	47	2	37	4	71	5	133	4	63	0	0
2013	5	102	8	182	4	48	4	133	2	141	7	50	1	28	2	74
2014	9	179	6	106	3	122	4	144	3	246	3	138	0	0	1	1
2015	4	44	3	129	2	79	4	79	3	77	2	136	2	70	0	0
2016	4	41	7	57	5	132	3	79	2	46	3	47	0	0	1	65
2017	6	153	5	92	2	26	4	29	2	98	3	75	3	9	0	0
2018	4	127	3	140	2	109	3	29	3	31	1	71	3	89	1	4
2019	0	365	0	365	6	41	3	117	2	39	5	86	0	0	2	5
2020	0	366	0	366	2	29	3	62	3	130	3	71	1	9	2	82
2021	0	365	0	365	2	114	3	135	4	129	6	95	3	193	5	65
2022	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	82	2	53	2	57	2	122	5	109	3	63
2023	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	20	2	20	1	14	1	24	2	22	2	96

	Hinkley Point B R3		Hinkley Point B R4		Hunterston B R3		Hunterston B R4		Torness R1		Torness R2		Sizewell B R1
	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational
2010	2	54	4	44	2	14	2	15	1	36	5	143	1	196
2011	2	36	3	90	3	42	4	19	2	64	4	13	2	53
2012	4	86	3	20	1	60	2	88	0	0	0	0	4	83
2013	1	9	1	23	0	0	4	17	1	48	1	12	1	47
2014	1	33	0	0	3	25	3	18	3	109	3	79	1	46
2015	1	6	1	85	3	69	2	86	1	4	0	0	0	0
2016	4	77	1	6	3	27	1	1	1	16	1	4	1	62
2017	3	28	3	51	2	27	1	2	1	65	1	63	1	58
2018	2	18	1	64	3	301	5	86	1	90	2	4	0	30
2019	2	96	1	3	0	365	0	0	1	257	0	0	1	65
2020	2	248	1	314	0	243	1	6	0	271	0	0	1	2
2021	2	147	1	130	2	64	4	72	2	71	4	142	1	127
2022	3	19	1	11	N/A	N/A	0	0	4	81	3	115	1	4
2023	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	40	3	32	1	91

Notes on Table

Days non-operational represents days where a reactor did not generate at all during a day.
If output in a day is greater than 0, then the day is counted as an operational day.
Outages represent the number of occurrences where a reactor was non-operational.
2023 is until June 2023 only.
Dungeness moved into its defueling phase in June 2021, having been in an extended outage since September 2018
N/A means not available due to no longer generating and transitioning to defueling as planned.

Written Question

Heysham Power Stations: Power Failures

Friday 14th July 2023

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

2010 – 2023 (June): Annual number of outages and non-operational days at UK nuclear power stations

	Dungeness B R21		Dungeness B R22		Hartlepool R1		Hartlepool R2		Heysham 1 R1		Heysham 1 R2		Heysham 2 R7		Heysham 2 R8
	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational
2010	0	230	4	101	3	49	3	86	2	152	3	119	1	5	1	251
2011	4	260	3	249	6	129	2	50	2	22	4	24	2	82	3	32
2012	5	172	2	181	3	47	2	37	4	71	5	133	4	63	0	0
2013	5	102	8	182	4	48	4	133	2	141	7	50	1	28	2	74
2014	9	179	6	106	3	122	4	144	3	246	3	138	0	0	1	1
2015	4	44	3	129	2	79	4	79	3	77	2	136	2	70	0	0
2016	4	41	7	57	5	132	3	79	2	46	3	47	0	0	1	65
2017	6	153	5	92	2	26	4	29	2	98	3	75	3	9	0	0
2018	4	127	3	140	2	109	3	29	3	31	1	71	3	89	1	4
2019	0	365	0	365	6	41	3	117	2	39	5	86	0	0	2	5
2020	0	366	0	366	2	29	3	62	3	130	3	71	1	9	2	82
2021	0	365	0	365	2	114	3	135	4	129	6	95	3	193	5	65
2022	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	82	2	53	2	57	2	122	5	109	3	63
2023	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	20	2	20	1	14	1	24	2	22	2	96

	Hinkley Point B R3		Hinkley Point B R4		Hunterston B R3		Hunterston B R4		Torness R1		Torness R2		Sizewell B R1
	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational	Outages	Days non operational
2010	2	54	4	44	2	14	2	15	1	36	5	143	1	196
2011	2	36	3	90	3	42	4	19	2	64	4	13	2	53
2012	4	86	3	20	1	60	2	88	0	0	0	0	4	83
2013	1	9	1	23	0	0	4	17	1	48	1	12	1	47
2014	1	33	0	0	3	25	3	18	3	109	3	79	1	46
2015	1	6	1	85	3	69	2	86	1	4	0	0	0	0
2016	4	77	1	6	3	27	1	1	1	16	1	4	1	62
2017	3	28	3	51	2	27	1	2	1	65	1	63	1	58
2018	2	18	1	64	3	301	5	86	1	90	2	4	0	30
2019	2	96	1	3	0	365	0	0	1	257	0	0	1	65
2020	2	248	1	314	0	243	1	6	0	271	0	0	1	2
2021	2	147	1	130	2	64	4	72	2	71	4	142	1	127
2022	3	19	1	11	N/A	N/A	0	0	4	81	3	115	1	4
2023	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2	40	3	32	1	91

Notes on Table

Days non-operational represents days where a reactor did not generate at all during a day.
If output in a day is greater than 0, then the day is counted as an operational day.
Outages represent the number of occurrences where a reactor was non-operational.
2023 is until June 2023 only.
Dungeness moved into its defueling phase in June 2021, having been in an extended outage since September 2018
N/A means not available due to no longer generating and transitioning to defueling as planned.

Written Question

Sizewell C Power Station: China General Nuclear Power Corporation

Monday 17th April 2023

Asked by: Lord Haworth (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they paid Chinese state-owned power group CGN over £100mn to withdraw from its proposed 20 per cent share of the Sizewell C nuclear power station project.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Following constructive commercial negotiations, CGN decided to exit the project as part of the Government investment in Sizewell C. The agreement to secure their exit covered value of their shareholding, their contribution to the project’s development and a commercial return reflecting their work to date. The details of this arrangement are commercially confidential.

Written Question

Sizewell C Power Station: Finance

Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make assessment of the potential merits of classifying nuclear energy as sustainable to help support private financing for Sizewell C.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s investment in Sizewell C represents a major step forward to secure the UK’s energy independence, and project development continues, towards the objective of achieving a Final Investment Decision in this Parliament, subject to relevant approvals.

In the Spring Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer stated the Government’s intention to include nuclear in the UK Green Taxonomy, subject to consultation, incentivising private investment in this important technology alongside renewables. The Government will provide a further update on the taxonomy as part of its publication of the Green Finance Strategy shortly.

Written Question

Sizewell C Power Station: Finance

Tuesday 21st March 2023

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using green bonds to finance the Government’s stake in the Sizewell C project.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The UK Government Green Financing Framework, which sets out the parameters for the UK’s green gilts and retail Green Savings Bonds, currently excludes funding of nuclear energy projects. Any potential future changes to the Framework in the future to include nuclear energy would be transparently published by the Government.

Written Question

Sizewell C Power Station: Investment

Friday 10th March 2023

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with pensions schemes including (a) BT and (b) NatWest on investing in Sizewell C nuclear power station.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Following the Government investment into the Sizewell C project in November 2022 to become a project shareholder, project development is ongoing, as are discussions regarding finance for Sizewell C. Details of these developments are commercially sensitive.

The funding will support a capital raise for the project intended to be launched later in 2023 using the new Regulated Asset Base funding model for nuclear.

Written Question

A12: Suffolk

Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the A12 to accommodate the additional construction traffic associated with the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

My officials have regular discussions with Suffolk County Council to discuss the A12, East of Ipswich Major Road Network scheme. Part of these discussions have included consideration of the role of the A12 in the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station. It is for Suffolk County Council, as normal practice for a Local Highways Authority, to work with developers to understand and mitigate impacts on their road network from any up coming developments.

In addition, National Highways has worked with the promoter of Sizewell C and Suffolk County Council on the expected traffic impacts to the A12 during construction and operation of the power station.

A Statement of Common Ground between the promoter and National Highways was agreed as part of the planning process for Sizewell C and is available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Written Question

A12: Suffolk

Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the capacity of the A12 to accommodate the additional construction traffic associated with the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

As I believe I stated to the House in November, the current Secretaries of State for Transport and for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have not held discussions about the traffic impact of Sizewell C. However, National Highways worked with the promoter of Sizewell C and Suffolk County Council on traffic impacts to the A12 during construction and operation of the power station.

A Statement of Common Ground between the promoter and National Highways was agreed as part of the planning process for Sizewell C and is available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Written Question

Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of whether the transmission grid would be capable of handling the proposed output from Sizewell C power station.

Answered by Graham Stuart

Network companies are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient network capacity to support generation and demand on the grid. Ofgem, as the independent regulator, is responsible for incentivising them to do so efficiently through the electricity network price control.

Written Question

Training: Sizewell C Power Station

Monday 12th December 2022

Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessments her Department has made regarding the adequacy of skills training opportunities in the local labour market to support the Sizewell C nuclear power plant project.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The new Local Skills Improvement Plans bring together employers, skills providers and other local stakeholders to identify the key skills needed in an area and to determine the changes required to local skills provision. For the Norfolk and Suffolk area, the Secretary of State for Education designated the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to lead the Local Skills Improvement Plan.

At a national level, the Green Jobs Delivery Group, which brings together representatives from government, business, industry, trade unions and academia, is the key vehicle for achieving our green skills aims and is examining nuclear skills needs.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has approved five apprenticeship standards for the nuclear industry, with another in development. The Free Courses for Jobs offer includes the ECITB level 3 Certificate and Diploma in Nuclear Engineering and Science.

Skills Bootcamps are short, flexible courses designed to meet the needs of employers. In additional to the national Skills Bootcamp offer, New Anglia LEP, in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, is using Department for Education grant funding to run Skills Bootcamps that meet local needs. Some of these new skills, such as construction, are valuable for the development of Sizewell C. It is expected that the Skills Bootcamp offer will develop as the Sizewell C project progresses.

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