British construction group Kier (KIE.L) has won a £100m ($158m) contract from France's EDF (EDF.PA) to prepare the ground for construction of a new nuclear power station in the west of England.

Kier said in a statement that the contract to carry out site works for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, which is due to provide 6 per cent of Britain's energy needs, would create 350 jobs.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister David Cameron last week used a summit in Paris to unveil contracts that will see EDF, Areva AREV.PA and Rolls-Royce (RR.L) co-operate in developing new nuclear power plants in Britain.

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