Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station

KEY FACTS

LOCATION:	Somerset
CONTRACTOR:	Balfour Beatty
CLIENT:	HPC (Hinley Point C)
VALUE:	£55m
SECTORS:	Major projects and infrastructure, Energy
SERVICES:	Building and Civil Engineering

Scope of works:

Hinkley Point C New Nuclear Power Station build is one of the largest construction projects in Europe and is currently under construction in Somerset.

Kilnbridge’s scope entailed the construction of the head structures for the new power station. A vital element of the power station’s cooling system, these were six very technically challenging and densely reinforced nuclear grade concrete structures with extremely condensed and complex reinforcement layouts. The heads, weighing from 3,500 tonnes to 4,800 tonnes, were constructed in Avonmouth docks, 40 miles away from the new power station and adjacent to the aggressive tidal conditions of the Severn Estuary.

Challenges:

• 5,000 tonne structures with rebar densities of over 800kg/m3
• Working to stringent Quality Assurance and Safety standards in a marine environment

Achievements:

• Over 200 Kilnbridge employees embedded within the overall project team
• Use of virtual reality to confirm buildability and identify and resolve over 20,000 clashes