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Major concrete pour at Hinkley Point C

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

First concrete has been poured for the 'common raft' of Hinkley Point C, on which the reactor building and safety systems will be constructed. The major milestone in the construction was announced by EDF Energy today.

Major concrete pour at Hinkley Point C — Pouring concrete at Hinkley Point C (Image: EDF Energy)

The raft will be a 4500 tonne cross-shaped platform of nuclear grade concrete, reinforced with steel, which will support the reactor building and the fuel building as well as four separate sections for electrical and safeguards systems.

EDF Energy said the first 2000 cubic metre portion was poured over 30 hours to a thickness of 3.2 metres. Four more pours will follow before the raft will be complete, scheduled in 2019. Consent for this work was granted by the Office for Nuclear Regulation on 23 November, which judged EDF Energy and its contractors ready to proceed past this so-called hold point.

The raft is the second safety-related concrete item to be constructed at Hinkley Point C. In March 2017 EDF Energy placed structural concrete for the technical galleries which run beneath the plant.

Hinkley Point C is a new nuclear power plant in Somerset, England. With two EPR reactors designed by Framatome it is planned to supply about 7% of UK electricity, with the first reactor starting up in 2023. EDF Energy said yesterday's concrete pour was the final milestone for this year.