Industrial services provider Bilfinger has secured a contract to design components for two core melt stabilization systems (CMSS) to be installed in the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant under construction in the UK.
In the event of a core meltdown the systems bring the molten core to a safe state once it has left the reactor pressure vessel, Bilfinger said.
Bilfinger has previously developed components for the first-of-a-kind CMSS at Finland's Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant, and also delivered parts for EPRs at Flammanville in France and Taishan in China.
The contract award increases Bilfinger's scope of work on the £22.5bn project to build two 1650MW European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Hinkley Point C is being developed by EDF Energy and its partner China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN), which has a 33.5% stake in the project.
Bilfinger said it has already received contracts worth ~€90 million for work at Hinkley Point C. These cover design preparation, planning and waste treatment, execution design, supplier management, pipework fabrication and installation of auxiliary piping systems.
Bilfinger has been involved in the planning and delivery of a conditioning plant to treat solid and liquid radioactive waste since 2017. This conditioning plant will identify and sort operational waste from Hinkley Point C, to reduce its volume and subsequently cement it. The treatment of radioactive waste will mostly be carried out remotely in a hot cell.
In February, Bilfinger announced that it had won a €68m ($73.5m) contract for execution design, prefabrication and supply of pipework for the ‘balance of plant’ package at Hinkely Point C.
Bilfinger also said EDF has reaffirmed its intention to award the Nuclear Steam Supply System contract to Bilfinger, with an award expected later in 2020.
Bilfinger Noell, Bilfinger UK, Bilfinger Engineering & Technologies in Germany and Bilfinger Peters Engineering in France are involved in delivering the contracts for Hinkley Point C.
Photo: Hinkley Point C construction (Credit: EDF Energy)
