Hinkley Point C unit 1 reactor building takes shape

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

The 17-metre-tall liner - weighing 347 tonnes - was lifted onto the reactor building of unit 1 using the world's biggest crane, Big Carl.

The steel ring forms part of the reactor building and was prefabricated in an onsite factory before being lifted into place by the 250-metre-tall crane.

EDF Energy said the lift demonstrates the "remarkable momentum being made on the project, which is one of Britain's biggest projects in the fight against climate change". The company added that this year marks a new phase for the site, with work being carried out to install pipes and electrical cables across the power plant.

In December 2020, Big Carl completed its biggest ever lift at Hinkley Point C when it moved a total weight of 575 tonnes to install the first of the three massive prefabricated steel rings that form the reinforced cylinder around the nuclear reactor.

The first ring of unit 2's reactor building was installed in November 2021.

Hinkley Point C, construction of which began in December 2018, is composed of two EPR reactors of 1630 MWe each. The start of electricity generation from unit 1 is expected in June 2026, with unit 2 following in 2027.