The Government has announced plans to speed up planning approvals for the Sizewell C nuclear project and a major sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Teesside. The Environment Agency will act as a “lead environmental regulator” for both projects, streamlining what is currently a multi-regulator process involving Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation, and the Forestry Commission.
Under the new system, the Environment Agency will serve as a single point of contact while coordinating with other regulators to assess environmental impacts. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) stressed that this move will not weaken green standards, as all necessary assessments will still be conducted.
If built, Sizewell C could supply six million homes with nuclear energy, reducing reliance on foreign fossil fuels. The Lighthouse Green Fuels project aims to become Europe’s largest producer of “second generation” SAF, using agricultural waste, forestry residues, municipal solid waste, and used cooking oils.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “We are taking back control of our energy supply to bring stability for families and create skilled jobs for local people, without compromising on environmental protections.” She added that global shocks highlight the unsustainability of relying on volatile fossil fuel markets.
Mina Golshan, safety director at Sizewell C, welcomed the move, saying it would lead to better environmental outcomes and greater efficiencies. Noaman Al Adhami of Alfanar Projects, the developer behind Lighthouse Green Fuels, said the initiative would unlock investment and accelerate project delivery.
