Campaigners claim UK pension funds won't be investing in Sizewell C nuclear reactor
This comes after the Government committed another £100 million to the controversial plan for the Suffolk coast
Last updated 28th Jan 2022
Campaign group, 'Stop Sizewell C' say they are going to continue with efforts to persuade investors that Suffolk doesn't need a third nuclear reactor.
Yesterday the government committed £100m towards developing the plans for Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast.
The development would be led by energy firm EDF.
The project hasn't yet been officially approved, though the government have indicated new nuclear reactors form part of their long term plans for the UK's energy supply.
Executive Director of Stop Sizewell C, Alison Downes, says they've already had a great deal of success in approaching companies which may choose to invest in the project:
"The amount pledged is a very small amount of money when it comes to building a nuclear power stations. So, it's really an effort to sure up confidence and attract other investors.
"So, we've already secured statements from a number of big UK pension funds to say they're not interested in investing in Sizewell. So, we're going to be doing a lot more of that to try and convince people that Sizewell C is the wrong project, in the wrong place at the wrong time".
Sizewell A and B have long been controversial features of the Suffolk Coast.
The first reactor was decommisioned in 2006, while EDF plans to keep operating Sizewell B until 2055.
Alison says construction of a third reactor in Suffolk is far from inevitable:
"We're going to continue to press this message that Sizewell is not a good investment, it's too slow and expensive to address our climate emergency. I think the money really suggests that we're quite a long way off from a final investment decision. The longer it takes for Sizewell C to get the green-light, then the more chances there are to persuade the Government that this is a bad idea".
Ms Downes says the group haven't ruled out taking legal action in the future:
"We're not expecting a planning decision until late spring and until we see what's recommended and decided, it's really hard to know if there's going to be any legal avenues to challenge it. But obviously it's going to be something we're going to look at"
"We have fantastic support in the local area, evidenced by the protests we had on Sizewell beach last summer which hundreds and hundreds of people came to.
"We also work closely with groups in other parts of the country where nuclear projects are proposed to make sure there is a jointed up approach. We also work with other groups like Greenpeace as well".