Nigel Cann has been working in nuclear power for more than 30 years, starting as an apprentice technician, later running Hinkley Point B power station in Somerset. For the last five years he has been helping EDF get ready to build Hinkley Point C.
鈥淪ome people might be daunted to be having to deliver this project, but for me it鈥檚 fantastic 鈥� I鈥檝e got the best job in the nuclear industry and the best job in UK construction,鈥� he says.
鈥淏ut nobody here underestimates the scale of the challenge: 25,000 people will help build the power station; we will use 75 times more concrete than it took to build the Millennium Stadium; we are running a 175 hectare construction site.鈥�
Last week the government finally gave the go ahead to construction of the 拢18bn Hinkley Point C project.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy to get here,鈥� Mr Cann says. 鈥淭he public consultation lasted nearly two years; the approval process for our UK-EPR nuclear reactor design took nearly four years, and required 850,000 hours of engineering studies.
鈥淲e鈥檝e secured planning permissions and environmental permits, agreed contracts with the government and gained approval from the European Commission.
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked extensively with our industrial partners to plan the build 鈥� actually we鈥檝e already 鈥榖uilt鈥� Hinkley Point C in 3D computer model form, rather than just on paper.
鈥淭hat means we鈥檝e already anticipated many of the practical construction challenges we鈥檒l need to overcome, which will help us to build Hinkley Point C safely, on time, to quality and on budget.鈥�
Writing on the EDF Energy website, he says: 鈥淭his is an important year for the site as we build on the success of the preparation works already completed. The site will start to get busier as we鈥檙e joined by engineers, ground workers, commercial and procurement experts, our project management and site teams.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l be kicking off the big job of moving around four million cubic metres of earth, so the real civil engineering work can get underway. And they鈥檒l also be preparing for what lies ahead.
鈥淪o it鈥檒l be a very busy time as well as a very exciting one, and I know we鈥檝e got the right team to deliver.聽 We鈥檙e a positive, tight-knit group, and we understand what each other and the overall team has to deliver.鈥�
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