EDF’s track-record in South-Africa is unique considering its extended localisation activities undertaken since 2006 to secure suppliers’ involvement at the time of the first Request for Proposal launched by the South African government, with a tailor-made roadmap:

• a comprehensive mapping of the industrial capacities performed in the fields of mechanical and electrical equipment, civil works, erection, commissioning and engineering
• 300 companies identified among which 100 were assessed
• more recently, EDF has maintained a strong relationship with local stakeholders through a specific government sponsored initiative (South African Department of Science and Technology) to support South African suppliers reach the highest quality levels required by the nuclear industry (TLIU University).

EDF’s localisation programme aims at facilitating the involvement of the South African industry, both locally to supply Eskom and internationally for EDF’s projects. It focuses on 16 suppliers of four designated commodities which are targeted by the South African government to be manufactured locally: Valves, Pumps, Cables and Transformers. The objective is to scale-up their skills and reach the stringent requirements of the nuclear industry:

• encouraging partnerships between South Africa and France
• offering tailor-made training and skills development programmes for South African suppliers
• fostering socio-economic development and equal employment opportunities
• creating jobs in the nuclear industry and other industrial sectors. Roughly 70,000 jobs are supported by Hinkley Point C project for 2 EPR reactors