Second reactor vessel arrives at Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in the British county of Somerset has received its second reactor vessel. The first pressure vessel arrived at the construction site in 2023 and has already been installed in Unit 1’s primary circuit.

The delivery of the second pressure vessel is an important milestone for Unit 2 at Hinkley Point C. It is a key part of the primary circuit, which houses the reactor core and provides the conditions for a controlled fission reaction.

Each unit is expected to have an installed capacity of around 1,600 MWe, theoretically generating enough electricity to supply about 3 million households.

The delivered reactor pressure vessel is a massive forging made of high-strength steel, around 13 m long and weighing approximately 500 tonnes. The reactor vessel has an internal diameter of around 4.9 m and a wall thickness of about 25 cm.

Progress on the reactor units

On Unit 1, construction has advanced to the installation of pipework, cabling and equipment. Work on Unit 2 is currently focused mainly on completing the buildings, following the successful installation of the reactor building dome in July last year.

According to EDF, innovations and experience gained during construction of Unit 1 have enabled Unit 2 to be built 20–30% faster. The use of prefabrication is approaching 60%.

Transport from the factory in France to the construction site

The pressure vessel was dispatched from Framatome’s Saint Marcel plant in France. It was then transported to Avonmouth Docks near Bristol and from there by barge to the Combwich Wharf transfer point on the River Parrett in Somerset.

The final leg of the journey was a roughly six-hour road trip covering four miles (about 6.4 km), using a heavy-haul transporter to reach the power station construction site.