East of England chambers of commerce issue rallying call for Sizewell C supply chain opportunities

The plan to build a new nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast has been formally backed by all six chambers in the East of England region.

They have come together to encourage businesses to sign up to the Sizewell C supply chain portal sooner rather than later so that they are ready for the hundreds of opportunities as and when the government give the green light.

As one of the vital cogs in the Sizewell C wheel and as a key part of the Development Consent Order for the power station, local businesses will have a prime role in the building of the new power plant, with over 2,400 local jobs being created, and a confirmed promise to spend at least £125m per year locally, throughout the 10 to 12 years of construction (£1.5bn over the construction of the nuclear new build).

John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce said: “According to an Ernst & Young report, the expected construction programme alone stands at around £4.4bn of work which will be available for East Anglian firms to tender for and we hope secure a large slice of this opportunity. An opportunity of this scale rarely comes along and we want Suffolk, and other regional businesses to be ready and able to bid for these works to benefit our economies.”

 As part of their agreement to build a nuclear power plant in East Anglia, EDF has also promised to attract 1,500 new apprenticeships, and to leave a legacy of skills and opportunity in our region.

Ashley Shorey-Mills, head of Suffolk Chamber’s Sizewell C supply chain engagement, added: “This is a wonderful opportunity for East Anglian band East of England businesses and the huge variety of regional Chamber members to come and work together, to showcase the best of what our counties can offer an infrastructure project like this. But the real exciting thing, is how we will be combining to create a supply chain infrastructure that is ready to take full advantage of the inward investment and growth that sectors such as energy will bring to our region over the coming years.”

The Sizewell C supply chain portal can be accessed at www.sizewellcsupplychain.co.uk