Name of the Project
Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant (NPP) project.

Location
On a site to the west of the existing Hinkley Point A and B power stations in West Somerset, in England, in the UK. 

Project Owner/s
Nuclear New Build, a subsidiary created by EDF Energy.

Project Description
The project will involve the construction, operation and maintenance of a new nuclear power station, known as Hinkley Point C.

The development will include:

• two UK European pressurised reactors with a combined output of 3 200 MW, associated buildings and a plant;
• staff facilities, offices, workshops and storage buildings;
• cooling water tunnels and associated infrastructure, including a fish recovery and return system;
• fuel and management facilities, including for spent fuel and intermediate waste;
• a sea wall, incorporating a public footpath;
• a national-grid 400 kV substation and overhead power lines on site;
• a public information centre;
• a temporary jetty;
• an emergency access road;
• access and parking facilities for workers, visitors and deliveries; and
• a temporary accommodation campus, including 510 bed spaces.

The new power plant will be capable of generating up to 3 260 MW.

The power station is expected to operate for about 60 years.

Potential Job Creation
Construction and operation of Hinkley Point C will create about 25 000 employment opportunities and up to 1 000 apprenticeships. An estimated 64% of the project’s construction value is predicted to go to UK companies.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at between £31-billion and £34-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction started in December 2018, with electricity generation from Unit 1 expected to start in 2030. The plant was originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025.

Latest Developments
The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been installed for the first of the two European pressurised reactors. 

The first of two 13-m-long RPVs will produce enough energy to generate reliable low-carbon electricity for three-million homes. With two units, the power station will provide Britain with 7% of its electricity.

This major milestone comes less than 12 months after the huge steel dome was lifted in place to close the reactor building. 

The RPV is a 500 t steel container that holds nuclear fuel used to make heat to produce steam for the turbine. The RPV had arrived at Hinkley Point C in February 2023 and was in storage until its installation, which was completed on December 3, 2024.

In a precision operation, the RPV was lifted onto rails and inserted through a 19.5-m-high equipment hatch before being rotated by the large internal polar crane and lowered onto a support ring with just 40 mm clearance on either side.  It will be flanked by four 25-m-high steam generators, to be fitted next year.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Kier BAM Joint Venture (site preparation works); Framatome SA (pressure vessel and steam generators); Bouygues and O’Rourke JV (construction contract); Sarens NV (assembling the world’s biggest crane at the site to aid construction at a later stage); MHI (pump sets); Trilium (subcontractor to MHI); Tecnatom (preoperational inspection services); BGEN (electrical and instrumentation solutions); GE Steam Power Systems (conventional power islands); and Arabelle Solutions (stator and turbine).

Contact Details for Project Information
EDF Energy, tel +44 1138 207117.