Engineers have lifted a huge 245-tonne steel roof onto the building which will house the first of two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point near Burnham-On-Sea.
Hundreds of people helped with the delicate operation to get the dome into position early on Friday (December 15th). It means the first reactor is on track to be installed next year, ready to be switched on in June 2027.
Engineers at EDF said the “challenging job” was completed in just over an hour.
DF’s nuclear island director Simon Parsons said it was a major milestone: “Lifting the dome into place is a celebration of all the work done by a fantastic team. The smiles on people’s faces this morning were something else.”
“Now we can get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on site and ready to be installed next year.”
Nuclear minister Andrew Bowie hailed the milestone and said: “This is a key part of the UK Government’s plans to revitalise nuclear.”
But some still question whether Hinkley Point C will be worth all the money, with Roy Pumfrey of the Stop Hinkley campaign describing the project as “shockingly bad value”.
The achievement ends the year on a high as the 14-metre-tall dome sits on top of the 44-metre-high reactor building.
The lift, starting at 7:20am, was carefully planned to take advantage of a weather window to allow the hour-and-a-half long manoeuvre to be completed in low wind conditions.
The dome is the top part of the reactor building’s inner containment – a steel cylinder encased in concrete.
Measuring 47m in diameter, it is wider than the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral – and made up of 38 prefabricated panels which were shipped to Hinkley Point C and welded together in an onsite factory. Prefabrication and modular construction are key features of Hinkley Point C’s construction.
Earlier this month, the 750 tonne “Polar Crane” was lifted into place in a single piece above the reactor building’s third – and final – steel liner ring. This internal crane will rotate 360° above the reactor and be used for refuelling and installing equipment.
Simon Parsons adds: “Building the first nuclear power station in a generation is a challenging job and the success of this complex operation is due to the determination and commitment of our fantastic teams.”
“Lifting the dome allows us to get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on site and ready to be installed next year.”
Big Carl’s latest lift highlights the progress being made at Hinkley Point C, where 10,000 workers and 3,500 British companies are building a power station which is essential in helping Britian achieve Net Zero. Hinkley Point C will power 6-million homes with reliable zero carbon electricity made in the UK.
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “This is a huge milestone and a real triumph of British engineering and construction. Once complete Hinkley Point C will be the UK’s greatest and greenest energy asset ever, producing more clean power and cutting more emissions than anything we have seen in this country before.”
“It is incredible to see the work being carried out by the thousands of workers on site and I look forward to welcoming many more major milestones in the future.”
