The world’s biggest crane has completed a huge milestone at Britain’s newest nuclear power station by lifting a giant reactor into place.
The massive crane, nicknamed Big Carl, hoisted Hinkley Point C’s second reactor pressure vessel into position at the Somerset site.
The new nuclear power station, owned by EDF Energy, will eventually generate enough electricity to power six million homes while helping cut Britain’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.
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The reactor pressure vessel plays a crucial role in the plant’s operation, generating heat and steam through nuclear fission to drive the world’s largest turbines, known as the Arabelle, as reported by Whats The Jam.
Once inside the reactor building, the 13-metre-long vessel was lifted and rotated into a vertical position by a giant internal crane before being carefully lowered onto a support ring.
EDF said there was just 40mm of clearance on either side during the delicate operation.
The company said using Big Carl for the lift saved space, time and money compared with the method used to install the first reactor.
Hinkley Point C’s first reactor pressure vessel was put in place using a large temporary overhead lifting system.
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The latest installation marks another major step forward for the project, which is being built on the Somerset coast.
EDF said work on Unit 2 is progressing 20 to 30 per cent faster than Unit 1 thanks to innovations and experience gained from constructing the first reactor using the same design and workforce.
Simon Parsons, Hinkley Point C’s delivery director, said: “This marks a tremendous achievement by the entire team and one that has taken months of planning and close coordination between the 10 main contractors involved.
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“We’ve also seen strong innovation to achieve not just a ‘cut and paste’ from the first reactor’s installation, but using our experience to save time, money and disruption to the site.
“Importantly, we are also applying those lessons to put Unit 2 well ahead of the first unit’s position at the equivalent stage, with more materials in place and more work achieved.”
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