Hundreds of businesses interested in winning contracts at Sizewell C tuned into a series of webinars hosted by Suffolk Chamber Sizewell C Supply Chain.
The New Year Webinar series aimed to update local and regional companies about plans to build a new nuclear power station in Suffolk, and introduced a number of associated projects which aim to maximise the opportunities that the plant will offer – including a Direct Air Capture demonstrator and the use of heat generated by the reactor to kick-start the hydrogen economy.
Representatives of more than 350 companies heard that Sizewell C will contribute £1.5billion to the regional economy during construction and a further £3bn during the lifespan of the plant. More than 40,000 person years of employment will be created along with 1,500 apprenticeships, ensuring that young people will have the opportunity to be fully engaged in the project.
Steve Carroll, Senior Supply Chain Lead at Sizewell C was joined by colleagues Joe Butler and Jack Raven, both finance and project analysts, in presenting a series of eight webinars all hosted by Gareth Davies, Head of Supply Chain Engagement at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.
Steve Carroll told attendees: “Sizewell C is committed to engaging local companies to deliver this project, what we need to do now is to understand where the opportunities for you all to get involved lie, and to start having conversations about working together to make sure our legacy is to the benefit of the local economy.”
Mr Carroll also said that targets set for local spend at Sizewell’s sister project Hinkley Point C in Somerset had already been met, and that he intended to improve on those figures in Suffolk.
“Hinkley Point C has gone over and above its commitment to the local economy and to date has spent £2.7billion with South West suppliers. Our vision is one of intelligent replication – we acknowledge the lessons learnt in Somerset, and the way they have achieved those targets, and replicate the model here in Suffolk, with the aim of doing even better.
“Beyond that, we are working with our Tier 1 contractors at Hinkley and encouraging them to become mentors to smaller companies from the eastern region wishing to win work at Sizewell.
“Through the Development Consent Order, we have made the commitment to put £125m into the Suffolk economy every year during construction. Suffolk businesses and our county’s young people have a lot to gain from Sizewell C and the success of the project will be measured by how well we deliver for the local community.”
Gareth Davies added: “My advice to anyone wanting to work at Sizewell C is to carefully consider three things – local, legacy and environment. These key words should be at the heart of what you are doing to align yourselves with the values and aspirations of the project.
“Every company will need to think about how it will meet the local mandate and to think about legacy. Furthermore, you must consider your environmental impact and make sure that you are doing your bit to contribute to the environmental agenda and the ambition of the project, and the UK generally, to achieving Net Zero by 2050.
“As the project moves forwards, Suffolk Chamber, through it’s Supply Chain Engagement Team, will act as the conduit between the Civil Works Alliance and local businesses to ensure companies from Suffolk and the wider East of England region get their seat at the table.
“We can only do that if companies registered on the portal remain engaged with us, and ensure their details and key words and capabilities are accurately entered onto the portal – think about how your company looks on the portal and make sure you can be identified for the work packages that interest you.”
The virtual events were designed to span the entire supply chain, from civil works and construction through to catering, electrical installation, professional services and more.
If you were unable to join the webinars, or would like to watch again, please use the following links to a recording and both slides shows.
We have also added a Q&A section here