Britain nuclear regulator says Sizewell C licence application met almost all requirements

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s nuclear regulator said on Monday the licence application for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, England had met almost all requirements, but that two matters must be resolved before a licence could be formally granted.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said in a statement that plans were in place to address both matters, and that no issues had been identified regarding the suitability of the site that would prevent a licence being granted.

ONR said the application by NNB Generation Company Ltd has met almost all requirements except for issues involving ownership of the land and a shareholder agreement about a company in charge of safety and security of the site.

"Engagement between ONR and the applicant has indicated that plans are in place to address both matters in due course," the regulator said.

To build and operate a new nuclear power station in the UK, a number of permissions are required from regulators and government.

The licence application is separate from a Development Consent Order, considered by the government, which determines if the overall proposed plan is acceptable under national planning legislation.

A government decision on development consent of the Sizewell C is currently pending. The government said last week it has delayed a decision on whether to grant French company EDF development consent to build Sizewell C in order to give the minister responsible more time to consider the proposal.

Britain aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which will require a huge increase in low-carbon power generation such as wind, solar and nuclear.

If built, Sizewell C would be able to produce 3.2 gigawatts of electricity or enough to power around 6 million homes.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Jan Harvey and Bill Berkrot)