Welsh firm takes Hinkley steel order
8 Sep 2016
Welsh steel firm Express Reinforcements has been chosen to supply 200,000 tonnes of reinforced steel for Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset.
Steel industry union GMB said the order, which was placed by the project’s lead suppliers Bouygues and Laing O'Rourke, was good news for the steel industry in south Wales.
It is an area that has seen a large reduction in worker numbers this year, GMB added.
New energy infrastructure will need steel, and this contract is good news for the important UK steel industry
NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex
Dave Hulse, GMB national officer for steel, said: "This is really good news for both Hinkley Point C and the Welsh economy as a whole.”
Members of the nuclear industry also welcomed what has been described as “a commitment to UK steel at Hinkley Point C”.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), said: “New energy infrastructure will need steel, and this contract is good news for the important UK steel industry.
“It further underlines that new nuclear has a much wider reach than the reliable, low carbon power it will supply.”
Hinkley Point C, however, has been put on hold while the new-look Tory government reviews the fine print.
A decision on whether or not the plant will get the go-ahead is expected later this month or during October.
