Team hired to keep Hinkley C nuclear build 'on track'

Designers and nuclear engineers are being recruited to prevent costly construction delays to the Hinkley Point C power plant in Somerset.

The hub in Bristol employs 450 staff and aims to bring in 300 more people by the end of 2021.

The firm responsible for designing and implementing the power plant said it would be beneficial to have a strong design and engineering capacity nearby.

In November, developer, EDF Energy said it expected to be £2.9bn over budget.

Edvance UK is responsible for designing and implementing the power plant and its director Tilly Spencer said: "There is a huge value in having a stronger design and engineering capability near the site itself."

Last month EDF Energy achieved a milestone by completing the concrete base for the second reactor.

The recruitment of designers and engineers ties in with the project as it goes into the MEH phase which involves the detailed aspects of building the reactor and the structures around it.

"If you've got an issue during construction, or there needs to be a clarification, or a question from one of the construction contractors, or something needs to be changed, you have the team who understands how it was designed," said Ms Spencer who is also leading the hub.

"There's an emphasis on learning from other projects - learning from the mistakes and not repeating them and learning from the things that worked well."

The new jobs at Aztec Park will include about 20 specialist nuclear engineering roles.

Staff will also prepare for Sizewell in Suffolk which will be a replica of the Somerset station.

Once Hinkley Point C is complete, a local team will remain to maintain the plant and oversee planned outages, which are shutdowns so that maintenance, repairs and inspection work can be carried out.