A behind the scenes look at progress in building Hinkley Point C.

Watch A behind the scenes look at progress in building Hinkley Point C. - Tindle News on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Hinkley Point C, Britain's first nuclear power station in 30 years. It'll provide

00:10reliable low-carbon electricity to meet around 10% of Britain's demand. I'm standing on top of

00:16the dome of our first reactor building, more than 50 meters above the ground. Wow, the site has

00:21changed so much since our last tour. Just over there, our second identical unit. With its roof

00:27now on, it's catching up fast. Many of Unit 1's amazing structures are nearing completion, and now

00:33its fit-out is gathering pace. So let's take a look and see what's new. We're inside the first reactor

00:40building. We're installing the steam generators. They're like huge nuclear power kettles, and we've

00:46got four in each unit. They get the heat from the 500-ton pressure vessel, which was installed last

00:52winter, where the nuclear reaction takes place. We're now welding all these big parts together into

00:58one system called the primary circuit. All over Unit 1, teams are moving in to install the pipes,

01:03cables, and equipment that will make everything work. That's a big change from pouring concrete and

01:10digging tunnels, so we're making sure everyone is set up to hit the ground running. Let's see where

01:15some of that crucial work is happening. Good morning, gentlemen. Underneath the power station,

01:26there's a warren of rooms and corridors packed with the mechanical, electrical, and ventilation systems

01:32that keep everything running. Organizing the many different parts needed for this is really complex,

01:38but are making good progress. There are 220,000 supports like these, and as you can see, many are

01:46already in place. These electrical switchboards will bring power to the site, and to hundreds of pumps

01:52and valves, which will control our vital systems. We've begun testing them, ready for the power station

01:58to become operational. So what's next? Above us, the build of the turbine hall is finished. Let's go and check it out.

02:08This is where the magic happens, where we'll generate the electricity. It's a huge space,

02:17longer than a rugby pitch, and taller than Nelson's column. Since your last visit, the roof's on,

02:22and the building is watertight, and we'll well progress with installing the Arabelle turbine

02:27and generator. Let's head to Unit 1's pump house.

02:30This is the biggest building on site, linked to eight kilometres of tunnels where we get our cooling water.

02:42By the end of this year, Sybil's work on this building will be complete. The pump house is our connection

02:48to the Bristol Channel, where our fish protection systems come into play. Did you know Hinkley Point C has

02:54more fish protection measures than any other power station in the world? We're busy testing these this

03:00summer. Let's move on.

03:09This is the second reactor building, or Unit 2. This was stopped during the pandemic,

03:15but now it's catching up fast. This summer, we installed the dome on time, making it weathertight

03:21and ready for fit out. Thanks to experience from Unit 1, it's 20 to 30% faster to build.

03:28Fewer people have got more done. More steel work and equipment is already inside than at the same

03:34time on Unit 1. 60% of the steel rebar structures on Unit 2 are being prefabricated, and now we're

03:41building and installing complete precast rooms. Incredible innovation, and that's why we call it

03:47a large modular reactor. Let's move on.

03:59This is hands down one of my favourite views of the site. You can really see the power station coming

04:04to life with its final shape taking form. And it's paving the way for Sybil C, our identical twin, which

04:11has recently got the go-ahead, and will join Hinkley Point C in powering a cleaner, more secure future

04:17for Britain. Everything we've learned here will benefit them from the start. I hope you've enjoyed

04:23the tour. I'll see you again next time.