Mineral Products Association says Government announcement is welcome signal of commitment
THE Mineral Products Association has welcomed the announcement that Sizewell C is going ahead as a signal of commitment to invest in Britain’s future.
Yesterday [10 June], the Government announced a £14.2 billion investment to build Sizewell C nuclear plant as part of the Spending Review, ending years of delay and uncertainty.
Estimates suggest that Sizewell C will need around 5 million tonnes of concrete, including 1.3 million tonnes of cement and 2.5 million tonnes of aggregate, making it one of the biggest projects in the UK from a materials perspective.
Mark Russell, MPA executive director for environment and mineral planning, said: ‘Business investment relies on confidence which has been lacking recently with weak housing markets and patchy infrastructure delivery.
‘In a long-term industry such as ours that supplies the essential aggregates and cement to make the huge volumes of concrete needed to build new nuclear plants, this is a welcome signal of commitment.
‘Nuclear power plants are such large projects that they need thorough planning. We have called for construction material supply audits for major projects for some time, so that supply can be managed most efficiently across regional and national markets.’
Diana Casey, MPA executive director for energy and climate change, added: ‘As a key part of the Government’s mission on clean energy, MPA members look forward to supplying the materials needed and welcome this signal of commitment.
‘But it’s not just the demand for materials that we welcome; our sector will need more clean electricity as we decarbonize everything from diggers and trucks to carbon capture-technology on cement plants.’
Meanwhile, in an initial reaction to the Chancellor’s Spending Review announcement earlier today [11 June], Aurelie Delannoy, MPA economic affairs director, said: ‘Today’s commitments on housing, nuclear, and prisons, combined with the announcement on Sizewell C, are welcome as long as they are followed through to delivery. This is vital to give our members the confidence to invest in UK production capacity to supply essential materials like aggregates, cement, concrete and asphalt.
‘It is good to see a longer-term approach to issues such as defence and housing, but to be truly strategic the Government needs to factor-in the supply chain, ensuring UK producers can provide the construction materials and industrial minerals that are central to the delivery of these ambitions.
‘The Chancellor’s recognition that ‘Where things are made, and who makes them, matters,’ is especially welcome, and must be applied to essential materials in our sector, especially cement.’
In a separate reaction, Viki Bell, chief executive officer of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA), said: ‘There’s a lot of ambition in today’s Spending Review – and it’s positive to see construction, housing, infrastructure, and apprenticeships getting attention again.
‘Sizewell C could bring early activity through groundworks and infrastructure, and the transport and housing investment – if delivered – has the potential to boost confidence across the sector.
‘But most of this has been announced before,’ she said, ‘and while we welcome the direction, we’re still not seeing it translate into real activity on the ground. We’re hearing the right words, but the sector urgently needs to see shovels in the ground and projects getting under way.
‘For our equipment manufacturers and supply chain, clarity and pace are just as vital – orders, investment, and planning decisions rely on delivery, not just policy. We now await the detail of the Government’s promised industrial strategy – a long-term, funded and joined-up plan that backs skills, accelerates delivery, and gives the industry the confidence to invest and grow.’
