EDF Energy has today announced that South-West firms have been successful in a competitive process to find preferred bidders for services to the proposed Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset.

Services set to be provided by local companies include catering at the construction site, bussing of the workforce and accommodation management, as well as site utilities and infrastructure.

Any contract signings are subject to a final investment decision.

Joining forces has been a key strategy behind the success of South-West firms, by forming alliances in order to leverage scale and expertise, with the backing and support of Somerset Chamber of Commerce.

Hinkley Point C will provide reliable, low carbon electricity to meet 7% of UK demand.

It will provide 25,000 employment opportunities during its construction, including 1,000 apprenticeships.

The scale of the project is impressive, with construction workers set to spend around £8 million a year on meals from local catering supplier, Somerset Larder.

Serving the 8,000 meals per day needed at peak construction will take 1.5 million eggs and half a million kilos of meat, fish and vegetables annually.

The workforce bussing contract is set to manage the anticipated 5,000+ daily passenger return journeys to and from the construction site, while the accommodation management contract will service the 1,500-bed workers’ accommodation campuses.

South West companies announced today with combined contract values of more than £225m include:

• Somerset Larder, six Somerset food producers – catering for the workforce

• HOST, comprising four Somerset companies – managing the workers’ campus accommodation

• Somerset Passenger Solutions, two Somerset companies – transporting workers by bus

• Somerset Infrastructure Alliance, three South West companies – site infrastructure services including site road maintenance, landscaping, signage and fencing

• COMA, five South West businesses – construction utilities including electrical networks across the site and support services It is now estimated that more than 60% of the construction cost for Hinkley Point C will be placed with UK firms, against an initial estimate of 57%.

For the South-West, the project represents a transformational opportunity for local companies as well as for job creation. Benefit to the regional economy is calculated at £100m a year during construction.

Together with the HPC project delivery team, Somerset Chamber of Commerce has been working hard to create an understanding of the scale of opportunity locally and to develop relationships between businesses necessary to form alliances.

Neil Murphy, CEO of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am delighted with the news from EDF Energy today that preferred bidder status has been awarded to a number of Somerset businesses.

"The Somerset Chamber of Commerce has been working tirelessly over the past three years with EDF Energy, local businesses and consortiums made up of local companies, to achieve this position. Today’s news represents a significant boost for the Somerset economy.”

Ken Owen, Hinkley Point C Commercial Director, said: “Working with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, our innovative business approach has led to the involvement of local companies close to the construction site.

"It has been really impressive to see the way that Somerset and South-West companies have joined together to rise to the challenge. The innovative supplier alliances created will enable them to match the standards of safety, quality, value and scale required on such an important project.”