Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed a plan for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell C in Suffolk.

He said that investing in the sector will be key to securing clean home-grown energy for the UK.

In his speech, the Prime Minister confirmed UK Government investment of £700 million in the new Sizewell C plant and set out his ambition that the UK build eight new nuclear reactors, approving one a year until the end of the decade.

Civils contractors welcomed the announcement.

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Director of Operations for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Marie-Claude Hemming said: "CECA has long argued that new nuclear power must be part of the mixed portfolio of energy generation the UK requires, both to ensure our energy security as a country, and to address the challenge of achieving a net zero carbon economy.

"Once it comes online Sizewell C will power the equivalent of six million homes and will have the potential to generate electricity for 60 years.

"We hope that this represents the beginning of a programme of investment that will deliver new nuclear power and hence home-grown clean energy to the whole of the UK.

"Our industry has a wealth of talent in the nuclear sector in many parts of the country, and we look forward to working with the Government and other stakeholders to ensure that new nuclear projects, once approved, are delivered on time and on budget."