Rolls-Royce lands Hinkley Point C nuclear deal
Derby’s Rolls-Royce factory has signed a contract with EDF Energy to provide heat exchangers for nuclear island systems at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
Rolls-Royce was selected in 2016 as preferred bidder for the heat exchangers, along with the primary, liquid and gaseous waste treatment systems and ultimate diesel generators.
A team of 80 Rolls-Royce engineers and supply chain specialists are currently working on the projects at its Barnwood, Derby and Warrington bases.
Chris Tierney, Rolls-Royce executive vice president – nuclear, said: “EDF Energy is a major customer of Rolls-Royce across the world and with this contract we remain dedicated to bringing world-class quality and innovation to our customer.
“Our approach as a strategic partner allows us to use Rolls-Royce engineering expertise and supply chain integration experience to bring great value to large infrastructure projects like this and we’re delighted now to become fully involved in this strategically important new power station and to deliver our commitments.”
Hinkley Point C is the first nuclear power plant to be built in the UK for decades and is one of Europe’s biggest construction sites. The project will create 25,000 job opportunities and 1,000 apprenticeships during construction. There are currently around 3,000 people working at the Somerset site every day and more than 4 million cubic metres of earth have been excavated.
Stuart Crooks, EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C managing director, said: “This major contract marks another significant step forward for the project which is bringing together companies and expertise from across the UK and beyond.
“We have already signed over £9.5 billion of contracts and today’s news is further evidence of the positive impact the project is having on British jobs, skills and industrial capacity.”
Hinkley Point C will provide 7% of the nation’s electricity needs when it comes online in 2025. The twin unit UK European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) will be capable of generating 3,260MW of secure, low carbon electricity for 60 years, powering around six million UK homes.
