Scotland has become an “afterthought” for the UK Government, the SNP has claimed, as those north of the border are set to “foot the bill” for Sizewell C.
The nuclear power plant is set to cost £38 billion, according to an announcement on Tuesday by UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, with a levy to be placed on energy bills to help cover the cost.
Mr Miliband said the charge would be limited to an average of around £1 per month.
The SNP-led Scottish Government has long been against new nuclear power and has said it would block plans north of the border through the devolved planning system.
Speaking in the wake of the announcement, the SNP’s energy spokesman at Westminster Graham Leadbitter said nuclear power was “extortionate, takes decades to build and the toxic waste is a risk to local communities”.
“Just months ago, the Labour Government rubbished the £38 billion figure for Sizewell C, yet today Ed Miliband snuck out a statement that confirmed they’ve lost control of this project before spades are even in the ground,” he said.
“To make matters worse, Scots will be left to foot the bill with a levy on energy bills – you simply couldn’t make it up, yet Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour back this extortionate and wasteful plan that energy-rich Scotland will pay for through the nose.”
Mr Leadbitter also hit out at the spending of the UK Government south of the border compared to Scotland, pointing to the closure of the Grangemouth refinery with the loss of 400 jobs.
“Be it Prax refinery, British Steel or Sizewell C, when it comes to projects south of the border it seems the pot of cash never runs out,” the SNP MP said.
“Meanwhile, Grangemouth has been shut down and Westminster’s fiscal regime has ruined Scottish energy jobs – Scotland isn’t just an afterthought, it’s barely a thought at all.
“It is absurd that energy-rich Scotland is home to fuel-poor Scots and that while energy bills go up, Scottish energy jobs are going down – that’s directly as a consequence of Westminster policy, and the further squandering of cash on expensive nuclear won’t change that.”
But Mr Miliband talked up the scale and ambition of the project as he announced it, with the UK Government taking a near-45% stake.
“It is time to do big things and build big projects in this country again – and today we announce an investment that will provide clean, homegrown power to millions of homes for generations to come,” he said.
“This Government is making the investment needed to deliver a new golden age of nuclear, so we can end delays and free us from the ravages of the global fossil fuel markets to bring bills down for good.”
New Sizewell C investors include Canadian investment fund La Caisse with 20%, British Gas owner Centrica with 15%, and Amber Infrastructure with an initial 7.6%.
It comes alongside French energy giant EDF announcing earlier this month it was taking a 12.5% stake – lower than its previously stated 16.2% ownership.
The total investment, which is split between equity funding from investors and debt financing, exceeds the target construction cost of £38 billion, therefore acting as a buffer in case costs overrun.
