Innovation at the heart of Hinkley Point C

Innovations across Hinkley Point C are playing key roles in helping us to the deliver the project safely, on schedule and to reduce costs. We’ve explored some of the plant and technology innovations which are making a positive impact on site.

Mechanical ground nail installation beam

Hinkley Point C’s enabling team and Kier BAM made significant time savings by developing a new machine to install 15,000 stabilising ground nails mechanically. Risks to team members were also minimised by eliminating the need for manual handling and working at height.

3D modelling – de-clashing

With 2,500 rooms in each of the two nuclear island units, we’re using 3D modelling on an unprecedented scale at Hinkley Point C. Available on team members’ tablets, the model can help to prevent the clashing of the units’ 7.6 million components, especially as the MEH HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) phase of the project begins.

Prefabrication – containment liner

To avoid weather delays, our entire steel containment liner will be prefabricated in five parts and covered with a geodesic roof to protect it from the elements. With this method, a ring is expected to take under 25 days to construct. The world’s largest land-based crane, the SGC-250, will lift the 640 prefabricated pieces weighing up to 1,100 tonnes.

Concrete application

The build will need more than 3 million tonnes of consistently high-quality concrete. Hinkley Point C’s own batching plant mixes the concrete to a specification that was designed and tested over three years. A concrete website coordinates contractors’ activities, making sure ‘special pours’ of high volumes aren’t interrupted. Another innovation is the bespoke app designed to tell everyone precisely where and when concrete is produced each day.