551-ton critical nuclear reactor component ready for UK project

Framatome has completed manufacturing the 551-ton reactor pressure vessel for the second EPR unit at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK. Fabricated in France, the 13-metre-long vessel is a critical component designed to house the reactor core and support its operation within the pressurized water reactor system. Alongside this, the first two of four large steam generators for Unit 2—each 25 metres tall and weighing 520 tonnes—have been received, with delivery scheduled for 2026. These steam generators transfer thermal energy from the reactor to produce steam that drives electricity-generating turbines. Hinkley Point C involves constructing two 1,630 MWe EPR reactors expected to operate for 80 years and supply carbon-free electricity to six million homes. Construction began in 2018 for Unit 1 and 2019 for Unit 2, with structural milestones such as the installation of containment domes recently achieved. The pressure vessel for Unit 1