Major Progress at Hinkley Point C as Final Liner Ring is Installed

The third and final steel liner ring has been successfully lifted into place at Hinkley Point C’s second reactor building. The 423-tonne steel ring, standing at 11.6 meters in height and 47 meters in diameter, is a crucial part of the reactor’s inner containment wall. This liner will be encased in concrete layers as the construction progresses.

The liner ring was prefabricated at an on-site factory and includes supporting brackets for the Polar Crane Beam, an internal crane that will rotate 360° above the reactor and facilitate refueling operations.

Engineered and prefabricated on-site, the steel ring also supports the Polar Crane Beam, a key component that will assist in refueling once the reactor becomes operational. The next major step involves placing the dome on the reactor building, scheduled for next year.

The project teams at Hinkley Point C are applying lessons learned from the first reactor unit to streamline construction, achieving efficiency gains of 20-30% on the second reactor. Once completed, the power station will provide clean energy to six million homes, contributing significantly to the UK’s energy security.

Watch the installation process in the following video.