Derby’s Rolls-Royce factory has signed a contract with EDF Energy to provide heat exchangers for nuclear island systems at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Rolls-Royce was selected in 2016 as preferred bidder for the heat exchangers, along with the primary, liquid and gaseous waste treatment systems and ultimate diesel generators.
A team of 80 Rolls-Royce engineers and supply chain specialists are currently working on the projects at its Barnwood, Derby and Warrington bases.
Hinkley Point C is the first nuclear power plant to be built in the UK for decades and is one of Europe’s biggest construction sites. The project will create 25,000 job opportunities and 1,000 apprenticeships during construction. There are currently around 3,000 people working at the Somerset site every day and more than 4 million cubic metres of earth have been excavated,
Hinkley Point C will provide 7% of the nation’s electricity needs when it comes online in 2025. The twin unit UK European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) will be capable of generating 3,260MW of secure, low carbon electricity for 60 years, powering around six million UK homes.