Jason Ford

EDF Energy confirms preferred bidders for £1.3bn Hinkley Point C contracts

News

Over 60 per cent of Hinkley Point C’s construction cost will be placed with UK firms following confirmation by EDF of more preferred bidders to work on the proposed project.

Hinkley Point C is a proposed 3.2GW nuclear power plant with two EPR reactors that will be built for EDF Energy in Somerset. If built, the power station will meet 7% of Britain’s electricity and provide 25,000 jobs on-site during construction, including 1,000 apprenticeships.

EDF stress that any contract signings are subject to a final investment decision.

“Hinkley Point C will be at the forefront of the revitalisation of the UK’s industrial and skills base, and we have worked hard to build a robust supply chain to support new nuclear in the UK,” Vincent de Rivaz EDF Energy CEO said in a statement: “The project will boost industrial stamina in the UK and kick-start the new nuclear programme. Experience gained at Hinkley Point will help firms be successful in nuclear projects around the world.”

In order to prepare the potential workforce EDF Energy has invested £11m in training, education and skills in Somerset, with the opening of a new Energy Skills Centre and a Construction Skills Centre in partnership with Bridgwater College.

The energy company has also worked with unions on its new nuclear programme in the UK. Agreements have already been reached with the Unite, GMB, UCATT and Prospect unions for the Hinkley Point project covering safety, quality, productivity, pay, industrial relations, plus the development of skills and training.

Commenting on EDF’s announcement, Phil Whitehurst, GMB National Officer for construction said: ”The future of the project still hangs in the balance of an agreement between EDF, its investors, and the Conservative government to secure the Final Investment Decision.

“We can now only hope that common sense prevails after the summer recess of Parliament, and they come to a financial accord which will spark the recommencement of this much needed project in the UK construction industry.”

Preferred bidders confirmed with combined contract values of more than £1.3bn include:

  • Balfour Beatty Bailey (Joint Venture) comprising of Balfour Beatty, London and NG Bailey, Ilkley, Yorkshire – electrical cabling and equipment installation
  • Cavendish Boccard Nuclear (Joint Venture) comprising of Cavendish Nuclear, Bristol and Boccard, Lyon, France – mechanical pipework and equipment installation  
  • ACTAN (Joint Venture) comprising of Doosan Babcock, Renfrew and Crawley, with Axima Concept and Tunzini Nucleaire, both of Paris, France – heating, ventilation and air conditioning
  • Laing O’Rourke, Dartford – construction of workers’ campus accommodation
  • ABB UK, Stone, Staffordshire – power transmission
  • Premier Interlink WACO UK Ltd, East Yorkshire – construction of temporary buildings
  • Weir, East Kilbride – large pumps for cooling water
  • SPX ClydeUnion Pumps – main pumps for feedwater system and cooling water system

Companies already working on the project:

  • G4S, Surrey – security
  • Aggregate Industries, Leicestershire – construction of the Cannington bypass, Park & Rides and highway improvements

Project management contracts have been signed with the following companies, with the value of each contract to be determined for services that will be provided over the duration of construction:

  • KBR, Greenford and Leatherhead – project management of site operations and equipment contract management
  • Jacobs, Reading – project management of building and civil work
  • Gleeds, London and Gloucester – contract management services
  • Faithful+Gould, Bristol – contract management services
  • Turner and Townsend, Leeds – project controls and project management
  • Mace, London – contract management services