THE world’s largest crane ‘Big Carl’ on Thursday (July 17) successfully lifted a 245-tonne dome on to Hinkley Point C’s second nuclear reactor building.

It marked a major step forward in construction of the power station’s second unit - identical to reactor number one – which had its dome put in place at the end of 2023.

The 46 feet tall dome closes the 144 feet high reactor building and now allows its fit-out to accelerate.

Work on unit two was stopped during the Covid pandemic, but teams are now catching up on lost time with their progress helped by innovation and the experience gained with the first reactor building.

Hinkley C owner EDF calculated the second reactor building would take 20 to 30 per cent less time to build.

The twin nuclear reactors will provide reliable zero-carbon electricity for more than six million homes, boosting Britain’s energy security for decades to come.

Unit two is now further ahead in its construction compared to the same moment for unit one.

Prefabrication in factories on and off-site has been driving gains in productivity, safety, and quality, with giant steel structures and complete rooms now being lifted in, making Hinkley Point C a large modular reactor’.

EDF said 30 per cent fewer people had now achieved 40 per cent more work than they had on unit one, with prefabrication of structures now approaching 60 per cent.

More equipment had been fitted and 300 tonnes of internal steel installed, against just 10 at the same stage for unit one. 

Innovation had allowed the massive concrete cylinder around the reactor to be built in nearly half the time for Hinkley’s first reactor.

Hinkley C chief executive Stuart Crooks said: “Restarting the industry has been hard, but the second of our two identical units shows the big benefits of repeating an identical design

“Build and repeat is the best way to build new nuclear with time savings already at 20 to 30 per cent.

“All our experience and innovation will benefit Sizewell C from the start.”

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Hinkley Point C will deliver the next generation of clean, homegrown nuclear power, creating high quality jobs and growth in Somerset and across its supply chains.

“The Government is ending years of delays to usher in a golden age of new nuclear, with funding for Sizewell C and SMRs, protecting family finances and boosting our energy security.”

Hinkley Point C is the first nuclear plant to be built in Britain for 30 years, restarting a supply chain and industry after a long pause.

The figures highlight the benefits of building a series of identical nuclear plants with innovation and experience gained at Hinkley C providing benefits from the outset for the next one in the pipeline, Sizewell C in Suffolk.

Hinkley C’s first reactor is expected to start generating electricity by 2031 at the latest, which would be six years later than originally forecast, with the second reactor coming online a year after number one.