Supported by the North Essex Economic board alongside Sizewell C, North Falls Offshore Wind Farm, Freeport East and Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm, the virtual event, which was held on January 20 and attended by 70 delegates, is the first in a series designed to engage the supply chain in Essex and draw attention to the wealth of projects, both at home and abroad, available to them.
The initial session highlighted the benefits of nuclear, not only for electricity production but also for the government’s ambitious goals of net zero by 2050 and ongoing benefits for the supply chain once construction has been completed.
Forecasted to take between nine and 12 years to complete, with an aim to begin construction in 2022, the project has a workforce development and project phasing plan outlining suppliers required at each stage, supporting 70,000 jobs across the UK.
Tom McGarry, head of regional external affairs and development at Sizewell C, shared that the station would deliver 7% of the UK’s electricity requirement once operational, with a forecasted operation of at least 60 years and a required permanent workforce of around 900. With regular planned outages, further opportunities will be available allowing for a nuclear services supply chain to be built up within the region.
Ashley Shorey-Mills, Sizewell C supply chain head of engagement at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the importance of the Supply Chain Portal as a vital tool for supply chain companies interested in getting involved.
“Companies may be put off by the scale of the project and size of the budget,” he said. “Our job is to help supply chain companies to understand the project breakdown and help them to understand where they sit within it so they can benefit from the investment into the region.”
And there’s still huge opportunities for Essex businesses to get involved, with only 11% of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce’s database registered on the portal.
Simon Gray, executive director of policy and external affairs for EEEGR, said: “The investment forecast for the East of England is a once in a lifetime opportunity, with a real potential for the region to be at the heart of the UK’s energy transition. It’s vital that companies within Essex realise the size of the prize, and ask themselves the question: can you afford not to be involved?”
EEEGR has more events planned across Essex to promote the energy industry to the county’s supply chain, highlighting valuable opportunities and helping them to understand how they can get involved.
For more information, please visit the EEEGR website.
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