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Hinkley Point second reactor unit build up to 30% faster

The third and final liner ring was lifted into place yesterday at Hinkley Point C’s second reactor building.

Engineering teams used giant crane, Big Carl, to lift the 423-tonne steel liner ring into place leaving just the reactor building lid to be placed now.

This final dome lift is scheduled for next year.

Work on the repeat reactor two unit is progressing at pace. Lessons learned on the first reactor unit build are allowing construction teams achieve efficiencies typically of between 20% and 30% on unit 2.

This bodes well for plans for the Sizewell C nuclear power station build where learnings from Hinkley Point will be passed on.

Big Carl edging final steel ring into place at reactor unit 2 yesterday

The steel ring lifted into place on Monday which is 11.6m tall with a 47m diameter. It forms the inner containment wall of the reactor building and will now be encased in two layers of concrete.

The first reactor building was capped with its own dome last December and is ready for the Reactor to be installed later this year.