The jetty will be built subject to a final decision from EDF to proceed with the new nuclear project. The contract award is another step towards being ready for work to begin.
Construction of the 500m-long jetty will employ 120 people at its peak and it will allow materials for the proposed Hinkley Point C station to be delivered by sea. Each ship-load will take 250 lorries off local roads. After the completion of the power station, the jetty will be removed and the area restored.
The contract follows the completion of the Planning Inspectorate’s six-month examination of EDF Energy’s application to build and operate Hinkley Point C, with a recommendation to the secretary of state due before Christmas. EDF has now signed up more than 1,000 Somerset companies as potential suppliers to the project.
The final investment decision depends on reaching agreement with the government on subsidies for the nuclear sector. Hinkley Point C will see the first new nuclear reactors built in the UK for around 20 years and the proposed new station will provide enough electricity to power five million homes.
Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering, which a subsidiary of Balfour Beatty, will complete detailed engineering and onshore and offshore surveys before the construction of the jetty, the pier head and the associated onshore structures begins.
Fairport Engineering has already been appointed by EDF Energy to provide the systems which will convey materials from the jetty to the construction site.
EDF’s construction director for Hinkley Point C, Nigel Cann, said: “Our team will soon be ready to deliver Hinkley Point C, a project similar in scale to the Olympics, which will bring immense benefits in jobs, skills and economic growth.
“The temporary jetty contract will help us get to work quickly and will reduce the impact of the construction of the proposed new nuclear power station on both the local community and the environment. We’re therefore pleased to welcome Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering to the team that will help deliver our project.”
Balfour Beatty regional director Graeme Barclay said: “We are delighted to be awarded this contract for the delivery of what will be an important scheme for the South West region. Already an established regional business, we are fully committed to the community and welcome opportunities to employ local workforce, working collaboratively with EDF to successfully deliver this challenging project.”
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