Supply chain gears up for Hinkley Point C
Around 100 delegates attended the latest Hinkley Supply Chain event, entitled 'How to win business at Hinkley C’, to find out more about the opportunities to get involved in the Hinkley Point C new nuclear development through smart business development and collaboration.
Companies from within and outside Somerset are gearing up to get involved in the project, with over 1,000 businesses now registered on the Hinkley Supply Chain portal, www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk. The site was developed with EDF Energy to capture the capabilities of businesses interested in getting involved in the project.
Chris Langdon from Into Somerset, the county’s inward investment body, said, “There is a lot of business development work that needs to be done, yet some businesses are waiting for work package details rather than getting out there and being proactive. Now is the time to start building the right partnerships that will allow businesses to improve their capacity, productivity and enable them to innovate, putting them in a great position to contribute to the build and supply chain.
“This is a huge, once-in-a-generation opportunity to be part of a pioneering project that will be looked upon globally as a blueprint for how nuclear power plants will be built in the future. We urge businesses to make sure they can be part of it by registering their interest on the Hinkley Supply Chain website.”
Into Somerset has been working closely with EDF Energy for some time to raise awareness of the vast range of opportunities on offer in Somerset for businesses and investors.
Following the event, Shelly Seward, Business Development Manager at logistics giant Wincanton, said, "The 'How to win business at Hinkley C' was a terrific event, bringing together companies who all have a real desire to work on the project and grow their businesses in the Somerset area. I am sure that the networking activity that took place will develop into some key collaborative relationships being formed, and provide businesses the opportunity to link with other organisations to widen their core skills bases."
In some cases, collaboration with Somerset based suppliers can offer real value in terms of local presence and local capability, so the Hinkley Supply Chain portal helps businesses outside the county find potential local partners too.
Sarah Jane Waith, Supply Chain Manager at ConstructEnergy, said, “We all need to ensure that a sustainable legacy is left from this project and in order to do so we need to collaborate, work together and play together. We all want to walk away from this project and be proud of what we have achieved and to say to our next generation, I was part of that.”
Hinkley Point C was named earlier this year as an approved site for a new nuclear build development. It is expected to generate £10billion of investment over the next decade, with approximately one-third of the investment planned for the nuclear reactor island and the remaining two-thirds required for associated construction and civil engineering works, as well as aligned activity such as business services.
The site preparation works, which will prepare the site for the main construction to follow, will begin imminently. Expected to last around 15 months, this stage will begin to unlock the benefit for business through early investment, creating around 500 new jobs.
To register your interest or to find out more, contact Into Somerset and the Hinkley Supply Chain Team on 0845 1222 066. Further information can also be found on www.intosomerset.co.uk and www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk.