VESSCO Engineering – Tier 2 sSupplier to HPC

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WNF INDUSTRY NEWS

Wales Nuclear Forum: Industry News, keeping you informed of important updates and informative information in the sector.

Vessco Engineering Ltd is a featured Tier 2 Supplier to HPC. Vessco is just one of an increasing number of Wales based companies supplying the Hinkley Point C nuclear new build project. EDF have produced a supply chain map which indicates that 100 Welsh companies already supply goods and services to HPC.

WNF is dedicated to increasing both the number of Wales based suppliers to HPC and the total value of contacts.

Vessco Engineering started approaching EDF, Alstom Power Systems and Rolls-Royce in 2010 just as the UK Government was contemplating a resurgence of new build activity in the new build nuclear sector. This culminated in civil nuclear approved supplier status for both Alstom and Rolls-Royce in 2012. As the parties stuttered towards a final investment decision in 2017 Vessco Engineering alongside hundreds of companies throughout the UK continued to make overtures to the prospective Tier One suppliers to HPC and EDF directly. The Wales Nuclear Forum was formed during that period with the aim of galvanising a sustained effort by Wales based businesses to gain contracts at HPC and prospective sites at Wylfa and NuGen in Cumbria.

The disappointing news regarding postponement at Wylfa and abandonment of the NuGen proposals at the end of 2018 / early 2019 cast a shadow over the civil nuclear resurgence in the UK. However, the development at HPC is now in full swing and advanced plans exist for new sites at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell, Essex. There is still time for WNF members to gain new business at HPC and everything to push for at SZC and Bradwell B.

Vessco Engineering gained its first multi-million pound contract for GE in December 2017, this was followed by contracts with Ovivo UK Ltd and Balfour Beatty. Vessco’s workforce numbers and turnover have more than doubled since its involvement in nuclear new build and future prospects are encouraging.

Within Wales the civil nuclear sector activity is centred on decommissioning at Trawsfynydd and Wylfa and plans for small modular reactors particularly at Traws. There are currently around 1,500 people working in the civil nuclear sector in Wales.