Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth visits Hinkley Point C

Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has visited Hinkley Point C to see progress at the new nuclear construction site in Somerset. The power station’s reliable low carbon electricity will play a major role in fighting climate change by helping Britain reach Net Zero.

As well as visiting Hinkley Point C, the Minister, who has a key role in delivering the country's latest carbon reduction target and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, toured the operational power station at Hinkley Point B before meeting students at the nearby National College for Nuclear.

At Hinkley Point C, she spoke with some of the 700 apprentices already trained. She also saw the productivity benefits from repeating an identical design as the second of the two nuclear units takes shape. This experience will benefit the planned near-identical follow-on station at Sizewell C in Suffolk.

Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “It was a pleasure to visit Hinkley Point C today to meet apprentices being taken on by EDF, showing the clear benefits the project is bringing to employment opportunities in Somerset and the surrounding area. As we work towards our world-leading climate targets, nuclear will continue to be an important and reliable source of clean electricity, and Hinkley Point C will play a chief role in delivering that.”

Hinkley Point B power station has over 45 years of operation and has generated enough electricity to continuously power every home in the UK for three years, avoiding more than 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

At the National College for Nuclear in nearby Cannington, students and apprentices demonstrated the skills being developed for the new builders and operators needed for Hinkley Point C and other new nuclear projects.

Image: Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth Strategy Anne-Marie Trevelyan stands with apprentices Stacey Sowden and Jacob Collard on the turbine hall currently under construction at Hinkley Point C.