A logistics company in North Somerset has won a multi-million pound contract to deliver all of the oversized equipment needed for the next stage of construction at Hinkley Point C.
Portishead-based Osprey Group will transport critical assets to the Somerset nuclear power plant, as steam generators, turbines and nuclear reactors continue to be installed at the site near Bridgwater.
Osprey, which has expertise in both marine and heavy land logistics, has a working relationship spanning several years with Hinkley Point C, which is overseen by French energy giant EDF.
John O’Connor, Osprey’s commercial director, said: “Normally, critical assets are called forward by the construction director, and multiple contractors complete the delivery.
“It’s an enormous task to perform this to the tightest of schedules, with so many contractors and interlocking phases of construction. You need a detailed plan and the right specialist heavy-logistics’ resources – all applied intelligently with a best for project, one team mindset.
“Hinkley Point C is an inspiring project driven by exceptional people – our job is to provide safe, flexible and reliable service every time. It’s an exciting time for Osprey and we look forward to supporting EDF and all Tier 1 contract partners in delivering success together.”
Osprey will transport the equipment manufactured around the world and deliver by water via its dedicated muster port at Avonmouth. From there, deliveries will be made to the build teams on site in line with predefined construction scheduling.
Mr O’Connor added: “This is a brand new, specialist logistics model for receiving critical equipment. All in all, over £1billion of essential, critical assets will move through this operation over the coming years.”
Nigel Cann, Hinkley Point C’s delivery director, said: “It’s fantastic to see a local company step up to the challenge of delivering this volume of critical components for our project.
“Osprey has already proved to us that they have the capability and expertise to deliver to the high standards of safety, quality and efficiency required for such a complex construction job.
“We set out to ensure that businesses in the region would benefit from HPC and this is the latest example of us delivering on that commitment.”
The nuclear plant aims to generate low carbon emission for six million homes over 60 years.
