The UK government remains committed to the planned Sizewell C nuclear power station in southeast England as it eyes an expansion of nuclear power “at unprecedented scale and pace”, the energy secretary has said.

Grant Shapps made the comment in London at the launch of Great British Nuclear (GBN), a new body which the government has set up to drive the rapid expansion of nuclear power.

Most of his speech was about small modular nuclear reactors which are being planned in the UK, but he also said the government remained committed to the “mega projects” of Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast, which are estimated to cost in excess of £20bn (€23bn, $25bn) each.

“We’re the first government for 35 years to put money into nuclear power,” Shapps said, referring to the £700m, 50% stake which the government has taken in the development costs of the Sizewell C project to build two new EPR plants, which is being led by French energy company EDF.