Workers at the Hinkley Point C (HPC) under construction in the UK have installed the first of two reactor pressure vessels (RPVs). The 500-tonne steel RPV, manufactured by Framatome, arrived at Hinkley Point C from France in February 2023 and has since been in storage.
The RPV was lifted onto rails and inserted through a 19.5m high equipment hatch, before being rotated by the large internal polar crane and lowered onto a support ring with just 40mm clearance on either side. It will be flanked by four 25m high steam generators due to be fitted next year. Throughout the manufacturing process there has been ongoing regulatory oversight from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) ensuring that the required standards are met. Installation of the reactor vessel allows NNB GenCo to install the remaining equipment to complete unit 1’s primary circuit.
“This is an important moment, not just for the team at Hinkley Point C, but also for everyone who wants to see the UK deliver energy security, fight climate change and provide power for our AI and digital future,” said Stuart Crooks, Hinkley Point C Managing Director. “We are working hard to play our part and using the experience gained delivering the first reactor to drive efficiencies in building our second one. That experience will also benefit follow-on projects, such as Sizewell C, as well as boosting jobs and skills for the UK’s growth agenda.”
EDF Energy said this milestone comes less than 12 months after the huge steel dome was lifted in place to close the reactor building, noting that “the reactor is the first to be installed at a British power station since Sizewell B’s in 1991.”
ONR said: “Permissioning of the unit 1 RPV installation marks a major milestone for the HPC site and has involved constructive engagement between the regulator and the site licensee, NNB GenCo, in keeping with ONR’s enabling regulatory approach.”
Mahtab Khan, ONR’s Head of Safety Regulation for the HPC project said: “Our consent enabled a team of experts to carefully transport the RPV from storage into the reactor building where it was installed.” He added: “As the Hinkley Point C programme of work moves forwards, our regulatory oversight will continue to reflect the pace required. Once we are assured compliance has been met at each decision-making opportunity or regulatory hold point, will we allow the next step to commence.”
Hinkley Point C, comprising two 1,630 MWe EPR pressurised water reactors (EPRs), is being built by the Bouygues and Laing O’Rourke joint venture (Bylor JV) for client EDF Energy. Work is now expected to be completed between 2029 and 2031. Construction began in December 2018, with unit 1 originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025. However, this was first revised to 2027 in May 2022, and in January 2024 EDF announced that the “base case” was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030. The cost has been revised from £26bn ($32.8bn) to £31-34bn in 2015 prices. The power station is expected to operate for 60-80 years.
