It follows Chancellor George Osborne's announcement earlier this week of a £2bn government guarantee for the project that will pave the way for a final investment decision by the energy company.

A Rolls-Royce/Nuvia partnership has been selected as the preferred bidder for a contract valued at more than £75m to design, procure, install and commission two systems for the treatment and waste processing of reactor coolant.

Rolls-Royce will also supply heat exchangers to be used at Hinkley Point C in a contract worth more than £25m.

In July 2015, EDF revealed the preferred bidders for contracts worth billions of pounds at the project.

EDF has estimated that contracts worth more than 60 per cent of the construction cost for Hinkley Point C will be placed with UK businesses, against an initial estimate of 57 per cent.

EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: "Hinkley Point C offers the UK a tremendous opportunity to boost employment and skills in the crucial manufacturing and construction sectors, as well as leading the revitalisation of the new nuclear programme.

"Together with suppliers and our partners we have created a supply chain ready to build Hinkley Point C, which will help the UK meet its future need for reliable low carbon electricity."

However, reports have also suggested that EDF is struggling to secure investment in the project, partly due to the unpopularity of its European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) technology to be used in the plant.

In an interview with French financial newspaper Les Echoes, EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy said that investors were reluctant to commit due to delays on past projects.

He added that the company was developing an improved reactor that could be used in future projects.