World’s largest crane ‘Big Carl’ puts the ‘lid’ on Hinkley Point C
Jonathan Leake
Fri, December 15, 2023
The gigantic crane has 12 engines and can lift up to 5,000 tonnes – equivalent to ten jumbo jets - Ben Birchall/PA
The world’s largest crane nicknamed “Big Carl” has been used to place a roof wider than the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral on top of the Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor in Somerset.
The 820ft crane, which at full height is three quarters of the size of The Shard in London, was deployed to place a 47m-wide dome on top of the reactor on Friday.
The 245-tonne steel dome is the top part of the reactor building’s inner containment – a steel cylinder encased in concrete. Installation of the roof allows the plant’s first reactor to be installed next year.
The 820ft crane is three quarters of the size of The Shard in London - Ben Birchall/PA
Simon Parsons, Nuclear Island Area Director, said: “Building the first nuclear power station in a generation is a challenging job... Lifting the dome allows us to get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on site and ready to be installed next year.”
“Big Carl” has been stationed at Hinkley Point since 2019 and has been crucial to the construction of the new nuclear power site. The gigantic crane has 12 engines and can lift up to 5,000 tonnes – equivalent to ten jumbo jets.
Hinkley Point is on Somerset’s north coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel, and is already home to two older nuclear power stations. Hinkley Point A is now closed but Hinkley Point B still has one of its two reactors in operation. It is run by EDF, the French state energy company, which is also building HInkley Point C.
About 10,000 people from 3,500 companies are involved in the construction, making it one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects. Once completed it will provide up to 7pc of the UK’s electricity.
Jonathan Leake
Fri, December 15, 2023
The gigantic crane has 12 engines and can lift up to 5,000 tonnes – equivalent to ten jumbo jets - Ben Birchall/PA
The world’s largest crane nicknamed “Big Carl” has been used to place a roof wider than the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral on top of the Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor in Somerset.
The 820ft crane, which at full height is three quarters of the size of The Shard in London, was deployed to place a 47m-wide dome on top of the reactor on Friday.
The 245-tonne steel dome is the top part of the reactor building’s inner containment – a steel cylinder encased in concrete. Installation of the roof allows the plant’s first reactor to be installed next year.
The 820ft crane is three quarters of the size of The Shard in London - Ben Birchall/PA
Simon Parsons, Nuclear Island Area Director, said: “Building the first nuclear power station in a generation is a challenging job... Lifting the dome allows us to get on with the fitting of equipment, pipes and cables, including the first reactor which is on site and ready to be installed next year.”
“Big Carl” has been stationed at Hinkley Point since 2019 and has been crucial to the construction of the new nuclear power site. The gigantic crane has 12 engines and can lift up to 5,000 tonnes – equivalent to ten jumbo jets.
Hinkley Point is on Somerset’s north coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel, and is already home to two older nuclear power stations. Hinkley Point A is now closed but Hinkley Point B still has one of its two reactors in operation. It is run by EDF, the French state energy company, which is also building HInkley Point C.
About 10,000 people from 3,500 companies are involved in the construction, making it one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects. Once completed it will provide up to 7pc of the UK’s electricity.
‘Big Carl’ has been stationed at Hinkley Point since 2019 - Ben Birchall/PA
Hinkley Point C received government approval in 2016 and was initially supposed to open in 2025 and cost £18bn.
However, the 3.2 gigawatt plant has suffered multiple delays and rising prices, and is now expected to cost around £32bn. The projected opening date has also been put back and the station is unlikely to start operating before 2032.
Nuclear Minister Andrew Bowie said Hinkley Point C would generate enough power for 6m homes. Mr Bowie said: “This is a major milestone in building Britain’s first nuclear reactor in a generation... Hinkley Point C will reduce our reliance on imported energy and support our shift to net zero.”
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