About the project

Bradwell B is a proposed new nuclear power station, which would be built at Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex. The Bradwell B site was designated by the government in 2011 as being potentially suitable for a new nuclear power station.

The Bradwell B project will bring billions of pounds into the local economy in terms of jobs, spending and investment, as well as providing a reliable source of affordable low carbon energy, supporting the UK achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and helping the UK achieve energy security.

The project will provide opportunities for existing local businesses in Essex and the wider East of England area, helping attract new businesses to the area and inspire others to expand.

Our proposals are for a twin reactor power station, able to generate 2.2GW of low carbon electricity, enough to power around four million homes.

In addition to the power station itself, the project will also require some associated developments in the area to support construction, such as park and ride sites, temporary accommodation, marine transport facilities and road improvements.

Over the 9-12 years of construction, Bradwell B would employ tens of thousands of people.  Over 9,000 would be at peak construction, with around 3,000 of those coming from the regional workforce.  In addition, the project has committed to delivering at least 1,200 apprenticeships. Once in operation, the new power station will need 900 high value jobs for at least 60 years. Supporting skills and education programmes in the local area will be key to allowing local people to take advantage of these opportunities.

During our Stage One consultation in 2020 we shared our initial proposals so that the community and key stakeholders would have an early opportunity to comment. You can see more about our proposals in the consultation material, available here. Future stages of public consultation will follow ahead of submitting an application for development consent.

About the partners

The two investors in the Bradwell B project are CGN and EDF Group.

CGN is a major generator of low carbon energy in China and is the world’s third biggest nuclear power company. Beyond nuclear, CGN currently generates 38.6GW of renewable energy globally, including 346MW of onshore wind in the UK and Ireland.

EDF is one of the largest energy companies in the world and owns and operates the existing operational nuclear fleet in the UK.

The two companies are also working together to develop Hinkley Point C in Somerset. In the case of Bradwell B, CGN owns 66.5% of the project, and EDF the rest.