Miles away at Hinkley Point C

Miles Vartan, Suffolk Chamber of Commerces Supply chain manager recently visited Hinkley Point C, here he gives his first impressions of the Nuclear new build. 

On a recent trade visit to the South-West hosted by the ‘Exeter Connects Ambassadors Group’ and supported by ‘New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’ we had the opportunity to visit the EDF Hinkley C construction site; the sheer scale of the project was brought home as we were driven round the 176 acre site looking at 30m plus deep chambers, more tower cranes than you would have seen when the London Olympic Stadium was being built and construction plant machinery wherever you looked – if this situation is replicated in Suffolk then local business has to be able to significantly benefit for the long-term and possibly make step-changes in supporting the local economy and job prospects.

We were accompanied on the site visit by Sam Evans, Head of Engagement for the Hinkley Supply Chain team who explained that her role was to do everything she could to make sure that the local supply chain in Somerset and the South West could and would make a positive and crucial contribution to EDF Energy’s work at Hinkley. 2.5 years into the project ‘local engagement’ sees Sam arranging and attending various Sector Preparedness events, working with key Tier 1s who are contributing to the Project with the key objective being to not only make sure that companies are ‘ready’ when opportunities arise but can maximise the potential of opportunities

The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Supply Chain Team are working closely with our colleagues in Somerset so that excellent companies from our region can and will benefit from whatever happens at Sizewell. Keep in touch with the Chamber’s Supply Chain Portal and look for the latest news and developments