First reactor is onsite in Somerset, southwest England, and ready to be installed next year
The reactor building dome has been lifted into place at the first new EPR nuclear power unit under construction at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, southwest England.
The world’s largest crane, nicknamed “Big Carl”, was used to place the dome, which is wider than the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, on top of the Unit 1 nuclear reactor in Somerset.
The 820ft (250m) crane was deployed to place a 47m-wide dome on top of the reactor on Friday.
The 245-tonne steel dome is the top part of the reactor building’s inner containment – a steel cylinder encased in concrete. Installation of the roof allows the station’s first reactor to be installed next year.
Work will now start to weld an air-tight seal around the joint between the dome and the reactor building, which will then be encased with 7,000 tonnes of concrete.
Simon Parsons, nuclear island area director at Hinkley Point C, said: “Building the first nuclear power station in a generation is a challenging job... Lifting the dome allows us to get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on site and ready to be installed next year.”
“Big Carl” has been stationed at Hinkley Point since 2019 and has been crucial to the construction of the new nuclear power site. The gigantic crane has 12 engines and can lift up to 5,000 tonnes – equivalent to 10 jumbo jets.
Hinkley Point is already home to two older nuclear power stations, Hinkley Point A and Hinkley Point B, which have two reactors each that have all been permanently shut down. It is run by EDF, the French state energy company, which is also building the two new 1,630 MW EPRs for Hinkley Point C.
About 10,000 people from 3,500 companies are involved in the construction, making it one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects. Once completed it will provide up to 7% of the UK’s electricity.
Delays And The Promise Of New Build
Hinkley Point C received government approval in 2016 and was initially supposed to begin commercial operation in 2025 and cost £18bn (€20bn, $22bn).
However, the project has seen a number of delays and rising prices, and is now expected to cost around £32bn. The projected operational date has also been put back and the station is unlikely to start operating before 2032.
Nuclear minister Andrew Bowie said Hinkley Point C would generate enough power for six million homes. Bowie said: “This is a major milestone in building Britain’s first nuclear reactor in a generation... Hinkley Point C will reduce our reliance on imported energy and support our shift to net zero.”
The British government is hoping Hinkley Point C will be the first in a new generation of nuclear plants, including large-scale units and small modular reactors.
The government promised to set out a “practical roadmap” before the end of the year towards its goal of securing 24 GW of nuclear power capacity 2050, but MPs have raised concerns as to whether new nuclear generation will offer value for money.
Since 2000, the UK has seen permanent reactor shutdowns at Hinkley Point A, Bradwell, Calder Hall, Hunterston, Oldbury, Sizewell, Chapelcross, Dungeness and Wylfa.
The only remaining operating plants are at Hartlepool, Heysham, Sizewell B and Torness.
EDF is building two 1,630 MW EPRs for Hinkley Point C, but the project has seen delays and cost overruns. Courtesy EDF.
