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Hinkley Point C - Monthly Update
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Big Carl, our heavy lift crane, was kept busy in December completing several large lifts. Plus, we completed the excavation of our first water cooling tunnel. Find out more below.
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Steel Containment Ring Lift
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Big Carl lifted the first of three massive prefabricated steel rings which form the reinforced cylinder around the nuclear reactor, into place on Reactor 1.
The 17m tall ring with a diameter of 47m was lifted out of a bunker where it was constructed in factory conditions – one of the innovations to improve quality on the project.
Big Carl reached out 160m to put it in place during a night lift – timed to take advantage of lighter winds during a four-day operation. Find out more online.
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Heaviest lift to date for Reactor 1
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The core catcher slab, weighing 862 tonnes, was lifted into place on Reactor 1.
The core catcher is a safety feature that in an extreme emergency scenario will prevent contamination escaping from the containment building.
The slab is 18m long by 11m wide and is 5m tall. The complete unit weighs in at 862 tonnes which is equivalent to around 8 blue whales!
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Excavations complete for first Intake Tunnel
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Mary, our first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), has reached the end of her 3.5km journey to complete intake tunnel 1. Did you know...
- Around 340,000 tonnes of material has been excavated – all of which will be reused on Site
- Nearly 14,000 segments have been used to make 2,300 rings which form the walls of the tunnel
- The tunnel sits 33m under the seabed of the Bristol Channel
Attention now turns to the two remaining tunnels for the water cooling system. Emmeline has started on her 1.8km journey mining the outfall tunnel, and Beatrice, responsible for intake tunnel 2, is set to launch early this year.
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Covid-19 Update
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The movement of workers to and from our region has been an area of concern for some in the community. That is why in the lead up to Christmas we took expert advice on the best way to prepare for workers returning after their breaks.
As a result, in early January we began completing an extensive testing programme - doubling our capacity for random and targeted testing across the entire workforce.
We are continuing to increase our team of “Covid Champions” who are reinforcing safe behaviours whilst communicating to all employees the importance of Covid safety.
We will not drop our guard in the coming months as the national vaccination programme is rolled out. Our extensive measures to prevent infection are proving to be effective and they will continue to be in place for as long as the risk exists.
Find out more on our website.
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Apply for Elevate
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Applications are now open for Elevate, our professional development programme for those aged 16-21. This 10 day course is entirely free and run online with Weston College.
On the programme, attendees can:
- Identify their skills and how to talk about them
- Improve their CV and interview techniques with mentoring
- Understand what employers are looking for in candidates
Find out more about Young HPC and the programme on our website.
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Site progress photos
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See more photos of progress on site in Click, our photo update, available on our website.
You can also find out about our works in the Southern Area, Shurton, and the Combwich Wharf refurbishment on the FAQ section on our website.
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