What can this ship teach us about the future of nuclear construction?

This summer, a ship sailed quietly out of Bristol Port bound for Hinkley Point C in Somerset for the last time. After more than 100 trips, the voyage marked the end of a first-of-a-kind innovation that is transforming nuclear construction in Britain.

Tom Moore is responsible for the main civil works programme at Hinkley Point C, Tom has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry.  

The MV Peak Anfield was carrying huge reinforced steel cages, not a glamorous cargo, but something fundamental to civil construction. Previously, these dense structures were made on site before concrete was poured around them. Building them in a factory in Bristol means we can work more safely and more quickly, in a facility operating 24 hours a day, without the challenges of being on a busy and remote construction site. Installations that once took three weeks on site are now completed in just one.

We have gone further still, with whole precast buildings being lifted into place by our giant crane, Big Carl. The latest weighed 739 tonnes and contained 12 rooms across two storeys. The same methodologies will benefit Sizewell C in Suffolk from the very beginning. Being the first project to restart new nuclear in Britain has not been easy, but the experience we have gained will benefit the whole industry.