Suffolk Chamber “ramps up Sizewell C supply chain offer”

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, the county’s leading business organisation, is boosting its supply chain team in a bid to ensure that as many local and regional firms benefit from the prospective construction of a new nuclear power station on the county’s coast.

Suffolk Chamber has run the Sizewell C Supply Chain website (https://www.sizewellcsupplychain.co.uk/) for over four years and has encouraged over 1300 companies from Suffolk and surrounding counties to sign up and showcase their competencies for both the build and operational stages of the prospective station.

From January 2020, the level of guidance and support that the Supply Chain team will be able to offer firms will be significantly increased as its headcount is boosted from the current two part time staff to six full time equivalents, thanks to financial support from EDF Energy.

This expanded team will be working more intensively with the Tier 1 suppliers, who will manage all the elements of the required work, subcontracting to a range of other firms. They will also be able to reach out to existing and newly registered companies on the supply chain website to ensure that they are in the best possible position to secure contracts.

John Dugmore, Suffolk Chamber chief executive, said: “With EDF Energy likely in the coming months to lodge the Development Control Order which kicks off the final stage in the planning process, now is the time for Suffolk-based and other regional businesses to ramp up their preparations to be in the best position possible to win new orders.

“The experience of businesses in Somerset and south west England more generally from the Hinkley Point C project is encouraging. Regional firms have already secured £1.5 billion worth of contracts. We want to realise the same – and more – for our local and regional firms.”

“Of course, there are opportunities for local firms here to establish their credentials for Sizewell C by successfully bidding for Hinkley Point C work. Indeed, to date over £650m of contracts for the latter have gone to companies based in the east of England.”

Jim Crawford, Sizewell C project development director, said: “Sizewell C presents a great opportunity to boost jobs, skills and education in Suffolk whilst tackling the urgent climate crisis we all face.  

 “At Hinkley Point C in Somerset, thousands have already been employed and trained, and £1.5 billion has been spent in the regional economy so far. Almost half the workforce is local, and we have already employed 500 apprentices. 

We want to build on this success at Sizewell C and encourage local businesses to register their interest with us through the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. 2020 will be an important year for the project and we want to ensure local businesses have the support they need to work with us.”

 Recent contract winners have included Suffolk Chamber member, a Sizewell C Supply Chain registered company and leading regional law firm, Birketts. They have been appointed by Sizewell C to support the land management work on the project.

John Dugmore concluded: “Well done to Birketts for joining the growing list of successful local and regional companies for whom nuclear new build is a business boost of the first order.”

Further information about the Sizewell C Supply Chain can be found here.