A recent report by EDF, Hinkley Point C Socio-Economic Impact Report 2024, says 7,885 people have already trained at Centres of Excellence for welding, mechanical, electrical and construction skills, with 1,307 currently in training as a result of the Hinkley Point C construction project. The 23-page report notes that 1,320 apprentices have been trained so far, in areas including hospitality, accountancy and project management. EDF adds that productivity for the nearby town of Bridgwater is now 10% higher than other surrounding towns.
Construction of Hinkley Point C began in December 2018.The first of two EPR 1630 MWe reactors was originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025, before that was revised to 2027 in May 2022. This was further delayed in January when EDF announced that the "base case" was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030, with the cost revised from £26bn ($32bn) to £31-34bn in 2015 prices. When operational, the plant is expected to provide enough power for 6 million homes for at least 60 years.
“As the construction of Hinkley Point C continues, the latest evidence is revealing the power of green investment to improve the lives and prospects of people and businesses locally, across Somerset and beyond,” the report notes. “Hinkley Point C is helping thousands of people get new skills and higher-paid jobs. The project is boosting the local economy and helping it beat the national trend of low growth, poor productivity and limited social mobility. Around One third of those currently being trained at Hinkley Point C’s new Centres of Excellence for welding, electrical and mechanical work come from officially deprived areas.”
The Centres, operated by the project’s key partner for skills, Bridgwater & Taunton College, are training workers for the next phase of the project and are part of a £24m investment into education and skills. Most of those trained so far come from across the South-West of England and South. The Centres will offer 30,000 training places over their lifetimes. The area is seeing a growth in the number of small and medium-sized companies that is ten times higher than anywhere else in the Southwest. So far £5.3bn billion has been spent directly with businesses across the region. “Hinkley Point C is a catalyst for much longer-term growth and will leave a legacy of a more skilled and productive workforce, that gives Somerset’s economy a competitive edge,” the report says.
In his foreword to the report, Hinkley Point C Managing Director Stuart Crooks says the report shows that investment in Net Zero energy at Hinkley Point C helps thousands of people to develop their skills and better their lives. “Our investment is a one-hundred-year commitment to the area. I am pleased that we are making a difference and I am determined that our social impact will endure for many years to come.”
