The twin nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C has taken delivery of its second nuclear reactor. The first arrived in 2023, six years after construction began, and is now installed and welded in place on Unit 1 of the power station.聽
The reactor was shipped from the Framatome Saint Marcel factory in France to Avonmouth Docks in Bristol, before being transported by barge to Combwich Wharf on the River Parrett in Somerset. The final journey was a six hour road trip on Sunday 11th January for four miles by a transporter to the construction site.
The delivery of the second reactor pressure vessel is a major moment for the identical Unit 2. The pressure vessel harnesses nuclear fission to make heat and steam for the turbines. The high strength steel cylinder weighs 500 tonnes and is 13 metres long.聽
聽Unit 1 was meant to have been generating power by 2025 under the original timetable, then 2027 after a re-set blamed on the covid pandemic and today is expected to be operation in 2029 or 2030. Completion of Unit 2 should be a couple of years after that.
Work on Unit 1 has moved onto the fitting out of pipes, cables and equipment, while Unit 2 is focused on the completion of its buildings following the dome lift last July. Thanks to experience gained from constructing Unit 1, teams are building Unit 2 around 25% more quickly, with prefabrication now approaching 60%.
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