Hinkley Point C support company Efinor opens a new facility in Avonmouth, creating more than 60 jobs

An international engineering firm supporting the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset has created more than 60 jobs with the opening of a new facility in Bristol.

The team of specialist engineers from French company Efinor will be based at its new manufacturing and technology center in Avonmouth so the company can work on projects that contribute to the UK energy program’s goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Efinor will initially focus on manufacturing Hinkley Point C for its customer BYLOR, a partnership between engineering and construction specialist Bouygues Travaux Publics and EDF subsidiary Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB).

It will also provide defense support and decommissioning as the UK prepares to reduce the number of operational nuclear power plants from eight to two by 2030.

In addition to Hinkley Point C, Efinor will also support the construction of the planned Sizewell C plant in Suffolk, which is designed to replicate the Bridgwater power plant.

The Efinor business expansion comes less than four years after the Normandy-based company opened its Bristol office, where initially two people started working in the UK.

Anthony Prod’Homme, Managing Director of Efinor in Bristol and Head of the Engineering and Projects Business Unit, said: “The decision to move to Bristol four years ago was an easy one because we could be so close to our main customer EDF Energy subsidiary NNB and our leading project location at the Hinkley Point C.

“We have benefited from this great location and the dynamic drive of the south-west region right from the start.

“This new expansion of our capabilities in the UK will help Efinor ensure the implementation of our clients’ projects, propose new services locally and encourage innovation.

“We are grateful for the support we have received from local organizations and we now look forward to helping build Hinkley Point C and helping the UK meet its net zero carbon targets.”

Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, email notifications and weekly summaries. To sign up, learn more and check out all of our newsletters. Follow the link here

Nuclear South West, the region’s public-private partnership organization, hailed Efinor’s expansion, saying it shows the “strength” and “resilience” of the region’s nuclear industry.

Andy Bates, Innovation Manager for Nuclear South West, said: “It’s wonderful to see Efinor grow stronger here in the south west of England and play a very important role in the construction of Hinkley Point C.

“The success of Efinor shows the incredible resilience of our region’s nuclear sector, which will play a vital role in getting Britain moving again and in helping the nation move to clean energy.

“Efinor’s work within the Hinkley Point C supply chain has enabled the company to attract local talent but also support economic growth for the region. Your success is a great example of how we can help businesses settle in the Southwest.

“This is a really fantastic success story and we are confident that it will encourage more companies to invest here in the South West, where we have the skilled workforce, opportunities, infrastructure and support structures to ensure greater success.”

French energy giant EDF estimates that when completed, Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C could deliver low-carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK needs and power around 12 million homes.

Comments are closed.