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
Hinkley Point C has taken delivery of its second nuclear reactor. 

The reactor was shipped from the Framatome Saint Marcel factory, in France, to Avonmouth Docks in Bristol, before being transported by barge to Combwich Wharf on the River Parrett, in Somerset. The final journey took six hours to the construction site.

The first reactor arrived in 2023 and is already installed and welded in place on Unit 1 of the power station. 

The delivery of the second reactor pressure vessel is a major milestone for the identical Unit 2. The pressure vessel harnesses nuclear fission to make heat and steam for the world’s largest turbines. Each one will power an estimated three-million homes. The high-strength steel cylinder weighs 500 t and is just 13 m long.

Work on Unit 1 has progressed to the fitting of  pipes, cables and equipment, while Unit 2 is focused on the completion of its buildings following the successful dome lift in July 2025. 
Thanks to innovation and the experience gained from building Unit 1, teams are building Unit 2 faster – by 20% to 30% – with prefabrication now approaching 60%. 

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.