EDF Energy, which is building two new nuclear reactors at the site in Somerset, said emergency services were called after a fatal road accident at 8.30am.
The man was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead a short time later, Avon and Somerset Police said. A police spokesman told the Telegraph the man was a contractor in his 40s and the accident happened “outside a central area of ​​the site” with “factory machinery”.

Thousands work on the site

Nigel Cann, Hinkley Point C delivery manager, said: “It is with great regret that we can confirm that one of our team has been involved in a fatal road traffic incident this morning during scheduled work. “The incident is being investigated by the Police and the Health and Safety Executive and we will co-operate fully with the authorities. “Work at the site has stopped and we are offering support to colleagues affected by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time.” Mr Cann said there were around 7,500 people working on the site in a “progress update” video shared by EDF in June.

Latest failure for Hinkley C

A spokesman for the French energy company told The Telegraph that the worker was a male supervisor working for Bylor, the site’s main civil works contractor, which is a joint venture between construction giants Bouygues and Laing O’Rourke. Both companies, which were served with safety notices by the Office for Nuclear Regulation after a scaffolding fell while working on the site in March, have been approached for comment by The Telegraph. Hinkley Point C, one of the most complex pieces of engineering ever attempted in Britain, is expected to start generating electricity in June 2027. In May, EDF said the nuclear station had pushed back its planned start-up date by a year, adding a further £3bn to its total cost – now estimated at between £25bn and £26bn – but with no cost implications for UK consumers or taxpayers.

Old stations closed

Hinkley Point A, the first nuclear power station at the site on Somerset’s north coast, ceased operation in 2000 and is being decommissioned. Hinkley Point B began operating in 1976 and stopped generating electricity at the start of August this year, leaving Britain with five nuclear power stations as it faces pressure on electricity supplies amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The station was capable of generating enough power for around 1.7 million homes, but was shut down due to its age, with hairline cracks appearing in the factory’s graphite bricks.