16 Feb (NucNet): UK-based EDF Energy has achieved all 2017 key goals set for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project under construction in Somerset, England, the company said in a statement.

EDF said 2017 saw the pouring of the first nuclear safety concrete for the underground service tunnels, the installation of three concrete batching plants, and the start of construction work on a temporary jetty.



By the end of 2017, there were nearly 3,000 people working on site, EDF said.



The company said it is on schedule to begin work on the first structures above ground in mid-2019.



EDF Energy said contracts worth nearly £9.5bn (€10.7bn, $13.3bn) have been signed in 2017 and Hinkley Point C is on target to deliver 64% of its construction value to UK companies.



Almost 4,000 businesses in the region have been registered on the local supplier database and £465m in contracts has been agreed with companies in the area, EDF said.



EDF Energy is building two 1,600-MW EPR units at Hinkley Point C, which are expected to provide 7% of Britain’s electricity needs when fully operational.



According to the latest EDF estimates, the project is expected to cost £19.6bn.

