22,000 people across Britain working on Hinkley Point C power station

The number of people across Britain working on the Hinkley Point C power station has grown to 22,000, new figures show.

There are now 6,300 workers on site, compared with 1,500 at the height of the pandemic last year.

Final contracts for Hinkley Point C were signed five years ago.

Cranes and scaffold surround the steel and reinforced concrete, partially built dome (Ben Birchall/PA)

Since then, 3,600 British companies have won contracts on the project.

This includes more than 400 businesses in the north of England, where spending so far has reached £1.2 billion.

Managing director Stuart Crooks said: “Hinkley Point C is essential in the fight against climate change and for Britain’s energy security.

Concrete is ready to be poured as work continues at Hinkley Point C (Ben Birchall/PA)

“It is delivering on its promise of boosting British jobs, skills and industry right across the country.

“Covid-19 has challenged the project and its suppliers and I am proud of the enormous efforts made to keep the site safe and moving ahead.

“As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic, we can now create more jobs as we step up construction and manufacturing for the next phase of the project.”