Sizewell C awards £1bn to East of England firms in first two years

Why it matters: The contracts represent nearly a quarter of the £4.4bn the £38bn nuclear power station project has committed to investing in the region over the course of its build, demonstrating early economic impact from what remains a controversial development in the local community.

The details: The 3.2GW power station, which reached Final Investment Decision last summer, now employs almost 2,000 people on site, including at least 100 apprentices. The project has delivered around £3bn in contracts to over 400 British suppliers nationwide, with the company committed to awarding 70% of its construction value to UK companies.

The bigger picture: Major infrastructure works completed over the past year include:

• Roundabouts at Friday Street and Yoxford on the A12, addressing two notorious junctions
• A new bridge linking the Main Construction Area to the Temporary Construction Area
• Three nature reserves around the construction site, which are three times the size of what Sizewell C's permanent footprint will be
• Submission of a planning application for College on the Coast, a new post-16 education facility on the outskirts of Leiston

The Sizewell C Community Fund has distributed £3m to local organisations in its first year, whilst the company has announced funding for East Suffolk Trust (EaST), a new £78m grant-giving charity dedicated to enhancing biodiversity and restoring landscapes in the county.

What they're saying: Nigel Cann, chief executive of Sizewell C, said: "We've awarded nearly a billion pounds in contracts to East of England businesses, we've delivered thousands of new jobs, including apprenticeships and other training opportunities, and we've distributed nearly £3m in funding to local organisations through our Sizewell C Community Fund alone."

He added: "We know this period of construction will also be disruptive in this area. We're working with the councils, other developers, and numerous other local organisations to ensure we do everything we can to minimise those impacts."

What's next: The project expects to begin construction on College on the Coast this year, subject to planning consent. Two new roundabouts at Yoxford and Friday Street are set for completion, whilst other milestones include the arrival of the first trains to site, the launch of a new public visitor centre delivered in partnership with Sizewell B, and the first round of environmental grants funded through EaST.

For context: The power station is being financed under the Regulated Asset Base model, which means households are paying an average of £1 per month during construction before the plant generates any electricity. The project, which is expected to become operational in the mid-to-late 2030s, will power six million homes for at least 60 years once complete.

The bottom line: Sizewell C is delivering on early economic commitments to the region whilst progressing infrastructure works, though the decade-long construction period continues to generate significant disruption and mixed views in the local community.