The planning application was submitted in May 2020 and sets out the range of measures the project will take to mitigate the effects of construction and maximise the benefits for local communities.
More than one thousand interested parties and statutory consultees gave evidence during the public examination which ran from April to October last year.
The decision follows four rounds of public consultation which began in 2012 and involved more than 10,000 East Suffolk residents.
Sizewell C is set to become one of the UK’s biggest net zero infrastructure projects, supplying reliable low carbon electricity to around six million homes. Operated by EDF Energy, it would house two EPR reactors, of the same type as currently being built at Hinkley Point near Weston Super Mare.
Negotiations with the government on raising funds for the project are continuing and a Financial Investment Decision is expected in 2023. Last month, the government announced that Sizewell C could be eligible for funding using the so-called Regulated Asset Base (RAB) scheme which will drive down the cost of the project to consumers.
Julia Pyke, Sizewell C’s Financing Director, said: "Planning approval brings us closer to delivering the huge benefits of this project to Suffolk and to the UK.”
Other approvals required before the project can begin construction include a Nuclear Site Licence from the Office for Nuclear Regulation and permits from the Environment Agency.