Wed, 04 Dec 2024

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 Reactor installed at UK's newest nuclear power station

The nuclear power plant is the first to be built in the UK for 30 years.
A major milestone has been reached at Hinkley Point C, as workers have installed a 500-tonne steel reactor into the first new nuclear power station built in Britain for 30 years. The reactor, measuring 13m long and weighing 500 tonnes, was lifted into place over several days with the help of hundreds of engineers and construction staff. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed it as "a major step forward" towards achieving energy independence. When operational, the plant will generate enough power for six million homes. The reactor is a massive steel vessel that will contain radioactive uranium split by nuclear fission to generate heat. This heat will then be exchanged with a second loop of water, which turns into steam to drive turbines and generate electricity. The reactor was made in France by Framatome and took six years to manufacture. EDF, the company building Hinkley Point C, has faced delays due to political debates, the Covid pandemic, and supply chain problems. As a result, the project is now expected to open five years later than originally planned, with an estimated cost of £46bn compared to £18bn predicted in 2017. However, installing the reactor marks a significant milestone for the project, which aims to provide clean power for millions of homes. EDF has also established a new factory in Avonmouth to train high-level welders and fitters to the exacting standards of the nuclear industry, with plans to take on more sophisticated jobs on future projects. The plant's construction has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, but officials remain optimistic that it will be operational by the end of the decade.
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