China Blocked from Investing in UK's Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station

The UK's energy secretary has made it clear that China will not have the opportunity to invest in the Sizewell C nuclear power station. This announcement coincides with the chancellor's plans to inject substantial funds, specifically £14.2 billion, into the country's nuclear energy sector, aimed at bolstering the construction of the new facility located in Suffolk.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ed Miliband stated unequivocally that China would be excluded from investment, though he remained non-committal about the involvement of other foreign governments. Miliband emphasized the importance of ensuring that any private investors undergo national security evaluations to ascertain their reliability and trustworthiness in owning part of the nuclear power station.

Concerns regarding Chinese influence have heightened in recent months, particularly following incidents involving British Steel, where government officials had to intervene to protect the operations from supposed sabotage by its Chinese ownership. This situation led to the passing of emergency legislation permitting the government to take control of British Steel after alarming reports concerning its Chinese owners' intentions.

Originally, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) was a key investor in the Sizewell C project and had also held a significant share in the Hinkley Point C nuclear facility, which serves as a model for Sizewell. However, the UK government forced CGN out of Sizewell in 2022, incurring costs of £679 million for taxpayers to facilitate this exit. Amid growing tensions between the UK and China, CGN’s financial support for Hinkley Point C has also diminished in recent years.

The chancellor is expected to officially announce the multi-billion-pound investment for Sizewell C at the GMB union's annual congress. The anticipated nuclear power station aims to supply energy equivalent to that consumed by 6 million homes and is projected to take about a decade to construct. Officials are hopeful that it will be operational by the end of the 2030s, contributing significantly to the nation's energy independence and supporting the goal of achieving a clean energy future.