EDF’s Hinkley Point C is a megaproject in every conceivable way. The numbers involved are huge: 230,000 tonnes of steel will be used, along with 1.25 million cubic metres of concrete, on a site covering 432 acres that has over 7,000 people working there each day.
When completed, Hinkley Point C will generate enough low-carbon electricity for six million homes for the next 60 years.
Managing supply chain complexity
With such a vast, complex supply chain and unparalleled security and safety requirements, Hinkley Point C needed a proven logistics partner to manage the arrival of materials to site from multiple suppliers.
Wincanton controls the storage, handling, asset tracking and transportation for incoming materials from multiple warehouse locations both on and off-site. This includes the storage of materials as diverse as soil samples through to the storage and distribution of 23.2 tonne pipes that form part of the reactor cooling system.
Wincanton plays a pivotal role in ensuring surety of supply across many thousands of product lines and facilitate buffer stock, minimising downtime, and the potential for costly disruption to build schedules for this megaproject.
Visibility, transparency and compliance
Incorporating 180 Tier 1 contracts across construction, technology, components, and operations Hinkley Point C is one of the largest collaborative supply chains in the UK. With such a vast, complex supply chain and unparalleled security and safety requirements, this megaproject of national importance benefits from Wincanton managing the arrival of materials to site from multiple UK-based and international suppliers.
Wincanton’s materials management solution, Winsight Supply Chain Integrator (WSCI), ensures surety of supply across many thousands of product lines for Hinkley Point C, creating transparency and traceability to better manage the flow of materials through tracking and reporting for every single component in the supply-chain.
A project of the scale of Hinkley Point C impacts on the local community, and Wincanton takes responsibility for minimising local disturbance and creating maximum local benefit very seriously. Wincanton has played a pivotal role in the coordination of traffic flows for Hinkley Point C, using a bespoke system which monitors and manages compliance to the project’s Development Consent Orders (DCO).
Compliance is achieved through the bespoke Delivery Management Solution (DMS) platform Wincanton developed especially for EDF, blending routing and scheduling technology; a cloud-based warehouse management system and active transmission equipment. DMS uses smartphone devices as GPS trackers, and this information allows Wincanton to make quick and decisive decisions, minimising disruption to operations and local communities.
A positive security culture
The vast, complex supply chain for the construction of Hinkley Point C requires a cohesive approach to meet the unparalleled security requirements.
A positive security culture, which works in partnership across all key stakeholders at Hinkley Point C, is backed by Wincanton’s commitment to continuous improvement. This is vital to ensure the integrity of the supply chain and the successful execution of the megaproject.
Wincanton tracks security risks in the same way as a health and safety incident, so potential outcomes are recorded, and root causes examined. Monitoring security across the operation in this way enables Wincanton to implement any measures that maybe required to prevent any unnecessary security risks.
Exceptional safety standards
An active safety culture, driven by education, awareness and engagement is at the heart of the service Wincanton provides for Hinkley Point C.
Maintaining exceptional health and safety performances across our operation requires dedication and planning at all levels. Our exceptional safety standards are maintained by daily safety briefs and monthly health and safety meetings to discuss trends, actions, and training.
As a result of this commitment, Wincanton achieved a major health and safety milestone at its site in Bridgwater in 2022 as it marked over 1,100 days without a Lost Time Incident (LTI).
Expanding capabilities
As an early extension to its contract, Wincanton worked with EDF and Tier 1 contractor Socea Denys to manage the receipt, storage, and transportation of circulating water system (CRF) concrete piping sections.
Discover more about how Wincanton played a key role in this significant project.
A trusted, long-term partner
Wincanton is a trusted, long-term partner to EDF, supporting the vast and complex logistics needs of Hinkley Point C. Discover more about how Wincanton has delivered innovative, sustainable, and people-centric solutions for the Hinkley Point C supply chain.
What the customer says
Rob Evans - Integration Manager, Site Operations, HPC, said:
Wincanton is a trusted, long-term partner supporting our vast and complex logistics needs. Throughout the construction of Hinkley Point C Wincanton has proved itself to be a supplier with expertise, experience and the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the Project. It has also innovated every step of the way with industry-leading technologies that improve supply chain visibility, manage stock availability and monitor compliance to minimise our impact on the local communities.
7%
HPC will provide the UK with 7% of its electricity when it opens in June 2027
1m
sq ft of warehousing space dedicated to the construction of Hinkley Point C
100,000
sq ft secure location, designed and operational within three weeks.
