Suffolk firms secure £100m in Sizewell C contracts during first year

Why it matters: The nuclear power project has awarded contracts to Suffolk businesses across multiple sectors, including construction, aggregates, building supplies and energy systems.

The bigger picture: Nearly 300 UK suppliers have secured contracts worth £2.5bn during the first year of construction. The project plans to spend £4.4bn in the East of England throughout the building phase.

By the numbers:

• £100m+ awarded to Suffolk firms
• £19m road improvement contract for Jackson Civil Engineering
• 2,000 workers expected on site by the end of 2024

What they're saying:  Brian Crofton, Managing Director at Jackson Civil Engineering, said: "As a local supplier with our head office in Suffolk, we are delighted to be awarded the contract for the first of many off-site infrastructure works for Sizewell C."

Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, Joint Managing Directors of Sizewell C, said: “It’s been an incredible first year of construction for Sizewell C. We’ve now got around 1,000 people driving this project forward both on our main development site and off-site infrastructure, and we’ll have around 2,000 people by the end of the year with around double the amount of apprentices.

“We’re making big gains with early manufacturing, with equipment already 20% through manufacture. That means we’re already able to deliver significant contract value to suppliers and drive growth right here in the UK."

Progress report: The first year of construction has included:

• New site offices completed
• Park and ride sites have begun
• Road and rail infrastructure improvements
• Archaeological surveys and earthworks
• Installation of concrete batching plant and temporary desalination plant

The bottom line: The £100m in Suffolk contracts represents 4% of the total UK supplier spending in the project's first year of construction and 5% of the £2bn that bosses have committed to spending with Suffolk suppliers throughout the project's delivery.