A French nuclear engineering company is planning to double its workforce in the UK following the government’s green light for Sizewell C.
Assystem is planning to create 1,000 engineering, digital and management jobs over the next five years to support the delivery of the Suffolk-based power station.
The roles will be at the company’s 10 UK sites including in Sunderland, Blackburn, Derby, Bristol and London.
Simon Barber, managing director of Assystem UK, said: “Today’s news is a major milestone for the UK as it commits to placing nuclear power and the centre of its future low-carbon electricity system.
“The deal represents the UK’s most significant public investment in clean, homegrown energy this century providing a major boost for energy security, jobs and economic growth.
“Assystem is a leading company in the UK nuclear sector and we are ready to mobilise and deliver Sizewell C. We have a strong regional presence in the UK, and this means job creation from sites like Bristol where remote engineering and project management work will be taking place.”
The news follows an announcement by the government on Tuesday (July 22) that the construction of Sizewell C will go ahead after it struck a deal with a group of investors.
The government will take an initial 44.9% stake to become the single biggest equity shareholder in the project.
Other companies to take a take a stake include Canadian investment fund La Caisse with 20%, British Gas owner Centrica with 15%; French state-owned energy giant EDF with 12.5%; and Amber Infrastructure with an initial 7.6%.
EDF is also working on Somerset nuclear power station Hinkley Point C, which has been plagued with problems since construction began in 2016. The scheme was originally estimated to cost £18bn to build, but has struggled with its schedule and last year EDF confirmed its final price tag could be as much as £35bn.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said of Sizewell C: “It is time to do big things and build big projects in this country again.”
He added: “This government is making the investment needed to deliver a new golden age of nuclear, so we can end delays and free us from the ravages of the global fossil fuel markets to bring bills down for good.”
Sizewell C is expected to cost £38bn to build and directly support 10,000 jobs at peak construction, according to the government, as well as thousands more in the supply chain. Labour has pledged to ensure that 70% of the value of construction will be awarded to British businesses.
One complete, the Sizewell C plant is expected to deliver cheaper clean electricity for at least 60 years.
