Capula and Exyte Hargreaves are the latest engineering companies to create new jobs to support the next phase of construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station
The work is being delivered by innovative joint venture – the ‘MEH Alliance’ formed by EDF and its major contractors Altrad, Balfour Beatty Bailey, Cavendish Nuclear and Doosan Babcock. (MEH stands for mechanical, electrical and HVAC – heating, ventilation and air conditioning).
Its new forecast predicts 1,200 new posts and 300 apprenticeships will be created. The fitting of the first five out of 156 storage tanks has marked the beginning of major MEH work on site.
Capula’s new contract to design and build instrument and control cabinets will create 50 new jobs.
Bury-based Excite Hargreaves will create 30 new jobs to design manufacture and commission ventilation systems.
Their success follows the recent announcement by Bilfinger UK that it is creating 350 jobs to design and manufacture specialist pipework for Hinkley Point C.
Hinkley Point C will deliver a long-term socio-economic legacy for the UK helping to overcome critical national skills shortages whilst opening up new, sustainable, career opportunities for people throughout the country.
Many of the new workers will be making use of new locally based training facilities such as a welding and electrical centre of excellence.
A British supply chain
Simon Parsons, Hinkley Point C MEH programme director, said: “In this next major chapter for our project, the MEH phase will join together hundreds of small and large companies from across Britain, creating 1,200 new jobs and 300 apprenticeships.
“Together we are delivering on our promise to build Britain’s industrial capability by creating new jobs and skills. Development of a near-identical power station at Sizewell C will bring further opportunities for our extensive and experienced British supply chain.”
The member of parliament for stone, Sir Bill Cash, said: “I’m very pleased to see Stone-based Capula create 50 new local engineering roles.
“It is great to see how Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands still leads the way for great British high-quality manufacturing for major projects such as nuclear power stations.
“Nuclear power not only creates jobs and supports the economy across the entire nation but it is also a vital part of meeting the country’s climate targets.”
It is almost unbelievable that we are building nuclear power plants which will provide a short term gain but place an enormous burden on future generations to look after the waste. Quite unreasonable.
Agree with Anthony’s comment. In 10 years this will be a relic of poor economic forecasting and a gross waste of public money. I would like to know how many tons of concrete are being used on this project as judging from the photo above it will run into the 100s of 1000s. Is anyone doing any embodied carbon calcs?
The grid is crumbling due to lack of investment from privately owned companies, micro-grid installs with battery backup are popping up worldwide. Hinkley is lunacy.