Citing “government insiders”, the paper said that the front runner for the new site would be Sizewell C, a project that has been under consideration since French energy giant EDF submitted an application for it in May last year.
EDF wants the plant to be able generate around 3.2GW of electricity and it will be a “near replica” of Hinkley Point C in Somerset in order to reduce construction costs and risks. The power station, which will also be part owned by the China General Nuclear (CGN), is expected to meet seven per cent of the UK's demand when it comes into service.
However, amid growing uncertainty around Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, it emerged last month that the Government was trying to strike a new deal that would prevent CGN from being involved in the project.
“Nuclear power has a key role to play as we work to build a strong, home-grown energy sector to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and exposure to volatile global...