French construction company Bouygues has won a *300m (£203m) contract to build a nuclear power plant in Flamanville, on the northern coast of France.

The firm has a growing presence in the UK and last year made a £5.4m operating profit in Britain. It is likely to want to expand its nuclear expertise to this side of Channel.

A spokesperson for Bouygues said it was “too early to say” whether the company would look to enter the UK nuclear market or embark on joint ventures with UK companies.

The Flamanville civil engineering contract is for four-and-a-half years. Bouygues Construction’s share of the contract is worth more than *300m. It will be working in a consortium alongside Quille, a subsidiary of Bouygues, and Baudin-Chateauneuf, a steel-work contractor. Construction is due to start next year.