Nuclear family

The development of Hinkley Point C puts essential UK energy infrastructure-as well as contracts worth over £30bn - in the hands of French and Chinese engineers and developers. It has led to inevitable questions over whether the project could have been managed by UK engineers. Andy Berry, vice principal at Bridgwater College, claims that, because the UK hasn't built a nuclear power plant in more than 25 years, it has lost the requisite skills. "Many of our qualifications, skills and standards are either out of date, or don't exist," he says. In order to get the plant up and running, these skills need to be revived. As part of the creation of the new power plant, Bridgwater College is helping to kick-start the UK's nuclear renaissance. French firm EDF itself has committed to creating over 1,000 apprenticeships over the course of the project, with suppliers adding many more to that number. The college has seen the building of a new construction skills and engineering facility that will help train the thousands of construction workers needed for the site. The Advanced Energy Skills Centre being built will help develop the skills and capacity of the UK nuclear engineering industry after a 20-year hiatus. Together, suppliers, educators and partners need to work together to develop the UK's nuclear capabilities. Indeed, the development of similar power stations across Europe could help develop a whole new area of expertise, potentially an opportunity for engineers throughout the continent.