<p>Boris Johnson on Thursday pledged £700 million ($815 million) in funding for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station, as he prepares to hand over power as UK prime minister.</p>.<p>The cash, unveiled at the Sizewell site in eastern England, comes as he seeks to improve UK energy security and fend off criticism over rocketing domestic fuel prices.</p>.<p>Sizewell C is expected to be constructed in partnership with French energy firm EDF and could power the equivalent of about six million homes.</p>.<p>"We need to pull our national finger out and get on with Sizewell C," Johnson said in one of his last major policy speeches as prime minister.</p>.<p>"That's why we're putting £700 million into the deal, just part of the £1.7 billion of government funding available for developing a large-scale nuclear project to final investment stage in this parliament.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/boris-johnson-tops-poll-of-bad-uk-prime-ministers-as-term-comes-to-end-1141283.html" target="_blank">Boris Johnson tops poll of bad UK prime ministers as term comes to end</a></strong></p>.<p>"In the course of the next few weeks I am absolutely confident that it will get over the line."</p>.<p>Sizewell C would create "tens of thousands of jobs", he vowed.</p>.<p>The government had already given the go-ahead in July to the plant to generate low-carbon electricity.</p>.<p>Johnson added it would be "madness" not to go ahead with the project which would "fix the energy needs, not just of this generation but of the next".</p>.<p>Johnson will step down next Tuesday, handing the keys of 10 Downing Street to either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak after an internal Conservative party leadership contest.</p>.<p>He was forced to quit in July after dozens of resignations from his government in protest at a series of scandals.</p>.<p>"I say to you, with the prophetic candour and clarity of one who is about to hand over the torch of office, I say go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C," the PM added.</p>.<p>And he reaffirmed a government pledge to build a nuclear reactor every year.</p>.<p>"Whoever follows me next week, I know that they will do the same."</p>.<p>The UK is seeking to safeguard energy security after key producer Russia sent prices rocketing with its invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>Thursday's announcement comes almost one week after news that British households will face an eye-watering 80-per cent hike in electricity and gas bills from October.</p>.<p>Regulator Ofgem, which announced the move last Friday, blamed the staggering increase on spiking wholesale gas prices in the wake of the Ukraine war.</p>.<p>UK inflation is in double-digits and forecast to hit 13 per cent in the coming months, worsening the cost of living crisis.</p>
<p>Boris Johnson on Thursday pledged £700 million ($815 million) in funding for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station, as he prepares to hand over power as UK prime minister.</p>.<p>The cash, unveiled at the Sizewell site in eastern England, comes as he seeks to improve UK energy security and fend off criticism over rocketing domestic fuel prices.</p>.<p>Sizewell C is expected to be constructed in partnership with French energy firm EDF and could power the equivalent of about six million homes.</p>.<p>"We need to pull our national finger out and get on with Sizewell C," Johnson said in one of his last major policy speeches as prime minister.</p>.<p>"That's why we're putting £700 million into the deal, just part of the £1.7 billion of government funding available for developing a large-scale nuclear project to final investment stage in this parliament.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/boris-johnson-tops-poll-of-bad-uk-prime-ministers-as-term-comes-to-end-1141283.html" target="_blank">Boris Johnson tops poll of bad UK prime ministers as term comes to end</a></strong></p>.<p>"In the course of the next few weeks I am absolutely confident that it will get over the line."</p>.<p>Sizewell C would create "tens of thousands of jobs", he vowed.</p>.<p>The government had already given the go-ahead in July to the plant to generate low-carbon electricity.</p>.<p>Johnson added it would be "madness" not to go ahead with the project which would "fix the energy needs, not just of this generation but of the next".</p>.<p>Johnson will step down next Tuesday, handing the keys of 10 Downing Street to either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak after an internal Conservative party leadership contest.</p>.<p>He was forced to quit in July after dozens of resignations from his government in protest at a series of scandals.</p>.<p>"I say to you, with the prophetic candour and clarity of one who is about to hand over the torch of office, I say go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C," the PM added.</p>.<p>And he reaffirmed a government pledge to build a nuclear reactor every year.</p>.<p>"Whoever follows me next week, I know that they will do the same."</p>.<p>The UK is seeking to safeguard energy security after key producer Russia sent prices rocketing with its invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>Thursday's announcement comes almost one week after news that British households will face an eye-watering 80-per cent hike in electricity and gas bills from October.</p>.<p>Regulator Ofgem, which announced the move last Friday, blamed the staggering increase on spiking wholesale gas prices in the wake of the Ukraine war.</p>.<p>UK inflation is in double-digits and forecast to hit 13 per cent in the coming months, worsening the cost of living crisis.</p>