Vessco Engineering is working with a trio of contractors at Hinkley Point C – GE Steam Power, Balfour Beatty and Ovivo UK.
Based in Bridgend, in Wales, the company designs and manufactures pressure vessels, heat exchangers, columns, tanks, silos, skid packages and specialist fabrications.
And while the first vessels it produced may have been small, relatively low-pressure filter-type units, since then the firm has established a highly skilled workforce and now specialises in large-scale pressure vessels and process equipment.
It has also expanded into the export market with clients in Ghana, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Algeria, while retaining its domestic customer base.
At Hinkley Point C, Vessco Engineering is supplying pressure vessels for GE Power Systems, which has the contract for the turbine hall at site. While GE Power Systems is making the power generation part of the nuclear power station, Vessco Engineering is making the two very large pressure vessels for them.
The vessels are deaerators and feed water tanks and each weigh over 330 tonnes – so large that they will need to be shipped in sections and completed on site. Vessco Engineering is a member of the Wales Nuclear Forum and has been awarded the prestigious Fit for Nuclear standard.
Director Julian Vance-Daniel said: “These are probably the largest pressure vessels that have been made in this area for many decades and we are hoping this will be a platform for future growth in the nuclear industry and will help us grow in other industries as well.”
Balfour Beatty is the Tier One contractor responsible for the marine tunnels at HPC. Vessco Engineering has supplied super duplex components for the intake and outfall heads and is currently working on carbon steel fabrications for preparatory works and testing prior to completion of the tunnels.
Ovivo UK has the contract to supply the largest cooling water intake screening system in the world for Hinkley Point C. Part of the scheme includes eight RRI filter vessels in duplex stainless steel, which are being manufactured by Vessco Engineering.
The company has also completed some smaller contracts for HPC and Mr Vance-Daniel said there were still a lot of opportunities for SMEs throughout South Wales and the South West at site.
He said he would recommend any business interested in working at site to contact the Hinkley Supply Chain as the team was able to make contact with Tier 1 contractors and offer advice on upcoming contract opportunities.
But he said it was also important for businesses to understand the culture of the nuclear industry: “There are many organisations out there who will help. We have had help from Fit For Nuclear, the Welsh Government and also from the HPC Supply Chain,” he explained.
Vessco Engineering was still a very small business when the prospect of Hinkley Point C was first mooted but pre-planning was everything and the company has flourished: “Because we had considered the market early on, we were able to slowly get things ready for entry into the nuclear market.
“Today our clients are based around the world and come from a range of sectors, including oil and gas, water treatment and heavy industry, as well as the nuclear sector,” Mr Vance-Daniel said.
More information is available online at www.vesscoengineering.co.uk.
