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The first of two nuclear reactors that will be installed at Hinkley Point C has arrived in Somerset.
Weighing 500 tonnes, the 13m-long reactor was made in France before being shipped to Avonmouth Docks in Bristol. From there it was transported by barge to Combwich Wharf on the River Parrett in Somerset.
The final four mile stretch to site took a painstaking five hours on a transporter.
It is the first of two nuclear reactors which will be installed at Hinkley Point C.
Earlier this month, EDF announced a further £6 billion cost increase at Hinkley Point C.
The figure was revealed alongside EDF’s accounts, with construction of the 3.2GW power plant now estimated to cost as much as £32.7 billion. That is a £6 billion increase on the revised construction price set last year and is almost double the £18 billion figure set in 2016 when EDF first started work on the project.
The latest cost hike has been attributed to rising inflation, however engineering problems and complex ground conditions have previously pushed the cost up, as well as a £500 million cost increase due to Covid-19 and pandemic-related working restrictions.
It led several academics and analysts to question whether the government should revisit its plans to invest in future large-scale nuclear projects.
The government’s Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, envisages a significant acceleration of new nuclear in the UK, with an ambition of up to 24GW by 2050 to come from this source of power. In total, this would cover around 25% of the country’s projected electricity needs.
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