Reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2 of Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK lifted into place

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 1, the world's largest crane, "Big Carl," lifted the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2 of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant into place. It will subsequently be rotated to a vertical position by the "Polar" crane inside the plant building and installed onto the support ring, with a clearance of only 40 millimeters on each side.

The reactor pressure vessel lifted this time weighs 500 tons and is 13 meters long, representing an innovation for Unit 2—compared to the large temporary overhead lifting system used for Unit 1, the new method saves space, time, and costs. Thanks to the innovative process and the experience of the same team building an identical design, the construction speed of Unit 2 is 20% to 30% faster than that of Unit 1. The construction progress of the reactor building for Unit 2 is also ahead of Unit 1 at the same stage, with three large heat exchangers already installed, whereas Unit 1 had none installed at the corresponding period, and the outer containment has also been put in place.

The reactor pressure vessel uses nuclear fission to generate heat and steam, powering the world's largest turbine, "Arabelle." Once completed, the two reactors of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant will together provide low-carbon electricity around the clock for 6 million homes.

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