The use of the giant crane鈥攁t 250,000 tonne-metres the world's largest land crane鈥攚as a change from the process used on the first reactor, where a temporary overhead lifting system was used.
Once inside the reactor building, the 13-metre-long reactor pressure vessel was lifted and rotated into a vertical position by the large internal polar crane and lowered carefully onto a support ring with just 40mm clearance on either side. 鈥疶he installation鈥痗omes鈥痩ess than 12 months鈥痑fter the huge steel dome was lifted into place to鈥痗lose鈥痶he second reactor building.鈥�
Unit 2 is being built 20-30% more quickly than Unit 1, thanks to innovation and the experience of building an identical design with the same teams.鈥�
The Unit 2 reactor鈥痓uilding鈥痠s further ahead than at the same stage for Unit 1, EDF says, with more equipment installed, as well as more structural steel work and the outer containment layer already in place.鈥�疐or example, three large heat exchangers have been installed in Unit 2, compared鈥痺ith none at the same point on Unit 1.鈥� EDF points out that the experience of working on Hinkley Point C will further benefit work on the UK's next gigawatt scale reactor, due to be built at Sizewell C.
Together, the two reactors will power six million homes around the clock with reliable, low carbon electricity, cutting the country鈥檚 reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Simon Parsons, Hinkley Point C鈥檚 delivery director, said: 鈥淭his marks a tremendous achievement by the entire team and one that has taken months of planning and close coordination between the 10 main contractors involved. We鈥檝e also seen strong innovation to achieve not just a 鈥榗ut and paste鈥� from the first reactor鈥檚 installation, but using our experience to save time, money and disruption to the site.
鈥淚mportantly, we are also applying those lessons to put Unit 2 well ahead of the first unit鈥檚 position at the equivalent stage, with more materials in place and more work achieved.鈥�
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