Avanade in nuclear world-first as it completes Hinkley Point C cloud migration
The largest construction project in Europe adopts Avanade Cloud Foundations and Microsoft Azure for state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure.
London, 13 April 2022
Avanade, the leading Microsoft solutions provider, has completed phase one of its cloud migration project for EDF Hinkley Point C (HPC), the UK’s first nuclear power station to be built in over 20 years. Avanade has successfully provided a secure cloud platform to support the construction of HPC, supporting thousands of workers, and will migrate additional applications in future phases.
Avanade and HPC overcame challenges unique to the nuclear power industry, including intensive security, data retention and regulatory considerations. This was made possible through Avanade’s unique and robust Cloud Foundations methodology combined with the Microsoft Azure platform.
Peter Jennings, Project Lead, Avanade, said: “This is a truly ground-breaking project, demonstrating the critical role of the cloud in the most ambitious and sensitive of projects. The state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure underpinning HPC’s construction will enable thousands of workers to better collaborate and manage the UK’s biggest sustainable energy project in a generation. With our partners at Hinckley Point C, we have built an extremely secure and scalable IT infrastructure, with a high degree of automation that delivers greater efficiency.”
Given the scale of the HPC project – it is one of the largest construction projects in Europe and will provide an estimated 20% of the UK’s electricity following its opening in 2025 – it needed an IT infrastructure with security and scale at its core. HPC can now support a rapidly expanding workforce that includes thousands of contractors, vendors and international collaborators.
Working in close collaboration with HPC, Avanade designed and built the new secure cloud environment through bringing together components from HPC’s existing infrastructure and the Azure Cloud to control access to information. This provided a secure foundation for the migration of key services, new servers and document storage.
Today there are many thousands of additional field personnel utilising the platform and information to support build activities. Avanade has also streamlined processes so that over half the tasks required across Avanade, EDF and other third parties are automated. Additionally, Avanade now provides support services for the infrastructure from its Newcastle Engineering Hub.
About EDF Hinkley Point C
The first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in over 20 years; Hinkley Point C in Somerset will provide low-carbon electricity for around 6 million homes, create thousands of jobs and bring lasting benefits to the UK economy. Construction and operation of Hinkley Point C will create 25,000 employment opportunities, up to 1,000 apprenticeships and 64% of the project's construction value is predicted to go to UK companies. Making a significant milestone in the revitalisation of our nuclear power industry, Hinkley Point C will make a major contribution to the UK's move to reduce carbon emissions.
About Avanade
Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Every day, our 56,000 professionals in 26 countries make a genuine human impact for our clients, their employees and their customers.
We have been recognized as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year more than any other company. With the most Microsoft certifications (60,000+) and 18 (out of 18) Gold-level Microsoft competencies, we are uniquely positioned to help businesses grow and solve their toughest challenges.
We are a people first company, committed to providing an inclusive workplace where employees feel comfortable being their authentic selves. As a responsible business, we are building a sustainable world and helping young people from underrepresented communities fulfill their potential.
Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation. Learn more at http://www.avanade.com/.
