Wednesday 20 March 2013

Rolls Royce: Hinkley Point will be “transformational” for UK nuclear

Hinkley Point C could be "transformational" for the British nuclear industry, Rolls Royce's President for Nuclear New Build predicted today.

As the new nuclear power station won approval from the Government yesterday, Gordon Waddington (pictured) said a "burden of responsibility" came with providing "thousands and thousands of jobs".

Engineering firm Rolls Royce is making parts for the first of two new reactors at EDF Energy's Somerset power plant.

Speaking at the Nuclear New Build conference in London today, Mr Waddington told the industry audience: "What we're trying to do here is potentially transformational for so much of our industry. It certainly would be for the nuclear part of Rolls Royce."

Every British firm involved in the project needs to pull together or risk fluffing the bright future for nuclear in the country, he added: "EDF have a really important role at Hinkley Point which we and the supply chain need to help... If it [the first of the new power stations] stumbles, it's awful lot harder to go for the one after and the one after that."