Sizewell C secures permission for Avonmouth tunnel component factory

Sizewell C has received planning permission to establish a factory at Avonmouth, near Bristol, to manufacture components for its marine tunnels. The facility will produce 38,500 pre-cast concrete segments and tunnel heads required for the nuclear power station’s three marine tunnels.

The site will reuse infrastructure previously utilized for the Hinkley Point C project. Production of the components is expected to begin in 2028. To minimize local road congestion, the project aims to transport at least 60 per cent of construction materials via rail and sea from Avonmouth to the Sizewell C site in Suffolk.

The project is expected to support up to 400 jobs. The Civil Works Alliance (CWA)—a partnership including Sizewell C, Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke, and Bouygues Travaux Publics—is implementing an employment and skills plan involving apprenticeships, internships, and vocational training in collaboration with local authorities and industry partners. Early works are already underway, with over 140 workers currently on site.