Polar crane installed at HPC 2

The polar crane has been installed in the unit 2 reactor building at the Hinkley Point C NPP under construction in the UK. The 750-tonne polar crane was hoisted into position in a two-day operation using Big Carl, the world’s largest crane.

The polar crane can rotate 360 degrees around the top of the reactor building and will be used to install heavy equipment during construction, such as the reactor and steam generators. It will also be used when the power station is operational for refuelling and maintenance. It is one of the last pieces of equipment to be installed in the reactor building before the 245-tonne dome is lifted into place.

“Thanks to experience gained from unit 1, the second polar crane was assembled 40% faster, showing the big benefits of building and repeating an identical design with the same people,” EDF Energy said. The polar crane at unit 1 was hoisted into place in early December 2023, and the dome was installed two weeks later.

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 begin operation in 2030. The cost was revised from £26bn ($32.8bn) to £31-34bn (2015 prices).