1,000 3,600

and we are still adding to that tally.

World engineering firsts continue to be made on site – including the precision placement of 5,000-tonne water intake heads on the seabed, in the summer. Made in Bristol, they’ll be connected to the power station’s cooling systems, ready for the nuclear reactors to be switched on.

This year, we will also receive delivery of the first reactor – a steel cylinder that contains the nuclear fuel. Around 80,000 hours have been spent on its construction by Framatome in France, the same nuclear company which built Britain’s last nuclear reactor, at Sizewell B in 1991.

The building which will house the reactor is also taking shape. With the help of Big Carl, the world’s largest land-based crane, a huge steel liner ring was lifted into place in December. The reactor

More than businesses involved in the supply chain

building now only has the iconic dome to be placed on top, which is scheduled for later this year.

The construction of Sizewell C is crucial to us continuing this momentum to get more reliable, home-grown electricity on the grid. We know that the quickest way of building new nuclear power stations is to take an existing design and repeat it. Sizewell C will be a near-replica of Hinkley Point C – meaning it can be built faster, cheaper, and more predictably. It also means the robust supply chain and expertise we have developed can be retained.

Homegrown, clean, reliable, and affordable energy is coming. Alongside wind and solar, the building of Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will be crucial in protecting us from future gas price shocks, as well as critical in the fight against climate change.

Trained

Apprenticeships continue to be available on the project and are open to everyone, regardless of their previous experience and background. The courses are not just for the younger generation – they offer people of all ages a chance to upskill or retrain. Due to the wide range of skills and services needed on the site, there is a course for everyone, from engineering, steel fixing to HR and catering.

Charlotte Casey, 22, from Bridgwater graduated from her nuclear engineering apprenticeship last year and is now working as an Operational Development engineer on site. “My course was action packed,” said Charlotte. “lots of my school friends didn’t get many GCSes, but they’re now working on site and gaining skills, while making a good income. Plus, we’ll take what we’ve learned onto future projects when Hinkley Point C is finished”.