Nicola Fauvel has been appointed as the inaugural station director of Hinkley Point C, positioning her among the most senior leaders in Britain’s nuclear power sector. With 26 years of experience in the civil nuclear industry, Fauvel brings a wealth of technical expertise and leadership to this landmark project.
Scheduled to take charge early next year, Fauvel will oversee the transition of Hinkley Point C from construction to full operational status. Her previous role as station director at Hinkley Point B included managing the successful defuelling of the reactor—a critical step before its decommissioning phase. Notably, her 2024 appointment at Hinkley Point B made her only the second woman to lead a UK nuclear power station.
Reflecting on her new role, Fauvel said, “I have loved leading the team at Hinkley Point B, upholding a strong heritage and a true sense of community. Now, I am excited and humbled to take on the challenge of preparing Hinkley Point C for generation. Establishing a robust operational organisation is just as important as the impressive engineering achievements by the construction team.”
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Fauvel’s career began at Torness power station in Scotland, and she has since held a variety of technical, leadership, and project roles across the nuclear sector. Her international experience includes work on reactor design in Paris and involvement at the Flamanville site in Normandy, home to a sister EPR reactor now supplying electricity.
A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in engineering, Fauvel hopes to leverage her position to open doors for people from all backgrounds within the industry.
Stuart Crooks, CEO of Hinkley Point C, praised Fauvel’s appointment: “Nicola’s extensive leadership experience on operating stations and with new nuclear projects will be invaluable as we accelerate commissioning. Starting now allows her to build knowledge and guide the evolution of our organisation from pre-operations to full power generation capable of supporting the UK’s energy needs into the next century.”
Once fully operational, Hinkley Point C’s twin reactors are expected to deliver low-carbon electricity to over six million homes, significantly contributing to the United Kingdom’s long-term energy security and sustainability goals.