The 245-tonne dome has been lifted into place at unit 2 of the UK Hinkley Point C (HPC) NPP. The 14-metre-tall dome closes the 44-metre-high reactor building, paving the way for equipment installation. The dome is made up of 38 prefabricated panels which were shipped to Hinkley Point C and welded together in an onsite factory. Work will now begin 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.
Construction of Hinkley Point C, comprising two 1,630 MWe EPR pressurised water reactors began in December 2018. Unit 1 was originally scheduled to begin operation by the end of 2025, which was revised to 2027 in May 2022. EDF said last year that the “base case” was now for unit 1 to begin operation in 2030. The cost was revised from £26bn ($32.8bn) to £31-34bn (2015 prices).
Work at unit 2 was stopped during the pandemic, but HPC says teams are making up lost time using the innovation and experience gained from the construction of unit 1. Although the second dome was lifted 18 months after the first, unit 2 is further ahead, compared with the same stage at unit 1. Prefabrication in factories on and off-site is driving gains in productivity, safety and quality, with giant steel structures and complete rooms now being lifted in, making Hinkley Point C a “Large Modular Reactor”.
With respect to civil construction at unit 2, 30% fewer people achieved 40% more work than on unit 1 with prefabrication of structures now approaching 60%. More equipment has been fitted and 300 tonnes of internal steel installed, against just 10 at the same stage for Unit 1. Innovation allowed the massive concrete cylinder around the reactor to be built 40% more quickly.
HPC is the first nuclear plant to be built in Britain for 30 years, restarting a supply chain and industry after a long pause. The figures highlight the benefits of building a series of identical plants. “Restarting the industry has been hard, but the second of our two identical units shows the big benefits of repeating an identical design,” said Stuart Crooks, CEO of Hinkley Point C. “Build and Repeat is the best way to build new nuclear with time savings already at 20-30%. All our experience and innovation will benefit Sizewell C from the start.”
Energy minister Michael Shanks noted: “Hinkley Point C will deliver the next generation of clean, homegrown nuclear power, creating high quality jobs and growth in Somerset and across its supply chains. The government is ending years of delays to usher in a golden age of new nuclear, with funding for Sizewell C and SMRs, protecting family finances and boosting our energy security.”
Meanwhile, striking workers at Hinkley Point C have returned to work after a supervisor alleged to have bullied staff was removed from the site. The unofficial strike began on 9 July, with an unconfirmed number of workers in the MEH group of contractors walking out in response to alleged bullying by a member of management. One person involved in the action told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This bullying has been going on for far too long.”
A spokesperson for HPC said: “We are pleased that this unofficial action has ended and that an appropriate, independent, process to investigate and resolve grievances will be followed as requested.”
The walk was not formerly backed by the Unite trades union, which said staff had taken part in a protest over “management practices” adding that: “Unite expects this matter to be resolved soon.”
