Five years after it got the go-ahead, the number of Welsh firms with contracts to supply Hinkley Point C has topped 200. Latest figures show that £255m has already been spent with businesses across Wales. Hundreds are working on these contracts, in addition to the 1,100 Welsh workers who are on site building the new power station in Somerset.  

The workers are part of 22,000 people across Britain who are helping build the new nuclear power station. During construction, it's estimated that 3,000 Welsh workers will have worked on different elements of the project. Key suppliers include William Hare in Risca, Vescco of Bridgend, Express Reinforcement in Neath and Hanson in Port Talbot. The investment in Wales is maintaining skills which will help the country’s businesses win work in future UK nuclear projects like Wylfa or Sizewell C in Suffolk.

At William Hare in Risca, contracts of more than £135 million led the company to make a multi-million-pound investment to expand their factory. The new facility currently employs around 60 people with plans to increase to 100, drawing on local expertise to fill the roles.  The company’s steel work, with protective coating from TEMA in Cardiff, will support the world’s most powerful turbine. As the project enters its next phase and steps up work following the pandemic, it is expected that more jobs will be created in Wales.

The new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C will be essential in helping the UK achieve net zero emissions by providing reliable low carbon electricity to meet 7% of national demand, working alongside wind and solar generation to replace fossil fuels like coal and gas.   New pictures and video released today show the latest progress.

Managing Director Stuart Crooks said:

“We have worked hard to ensure as many Welsh businesses as possible can win contracts at Hinkley Point C and hundreds of skilled Welsh workers are with us every day on site.

“The contracts for Hinkley Point C will build and sustain skills in Welsh industry, which will be essential in helping the country’s businesses win work at future nuclear projects in Wales and England. I am delighted that we have been able to hire and train so many apprentices from Wylfa and keep them in our industry, ready for the next challenge in their careers.”

Ian Price, CBI Wales Director, said:

“Nuclear power will play an important role in meeting the UK’s energy needs as we look to build a net zero economy that’s both competitive and sustainable in the long term.

“With Hinkley Point C located on the doorstep of Wales, it’s great to see EDF making a sustained commitment to Welsh firms and workers – delivering real benefits to the wider Welsh economy. Embedding these vital skills in future generations, through on-site training and apprenticeships, will help to keep high-skilled jobs in Welsh communities, as well as building Wales’s growing reputation as a go-to destination for talent across the energy sector.”