HPC

[Bugtownboy]

Latest from the local press

https://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/new ... y-point-c/

Again, apologies for the ads/format.

[Moxi]

I like the bit where they mention that Framatome helped to build Sizewell B, leaving out the project over run and sky rocketing price of that project even though it was based on the much better understood PWR design.

They also failed to mention the number of times Framatome has come close to going bust and the illegal bail outs the company received from the French state despite EU rules on this

That said its always quite impressive to me that such a small vessel sits at the heart of the immense structure of a nuclear power station and pumps out 1600MW (thermal).

Moxi

[Bugtownboy]

Size of the pressure vessel surprised me too

[Oldgreybeard]

Size of the pressure vessel surprised me too

Try walking past the reactor compartment in a nuclear boat, that really does drive home how small a PWR can be. The one time I was on a boat (doing acceptance trials) I found being sat in the wardroom, just a few feet from the reactor compartment, just a little bit unnerving. Amused me that they put the officers closest to the reactor, then the senior rates a bit further away, with the junior rates about as far from the reactor as you can get.

[dan_b]

Yeah, it's remarkably small considering how much thermal power it generates, but also considering how big the actual final civil site at Hinkley C is - it's gigantic, markedly larger than any other nuclear site in the UK in terms of acres covered. Assume it's all the additional containment, coolant and back-up generation requirements for this generation of plant?

Size of the pressure vessel surprised me too

[Bugtownboy]

When we flew into Bristol a few weeks back, we banked over Hinkley Point - the site is huge, seemingly dwarfing A & B.

The scale of the construction site & equipment was staggering.

[dan_b]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the site for HPC (3200MW) is about 450 acres or something? Compared to Hinkley B (1250MW), which is about 20 acres?!

[Bugtownboy]

I can believe it.

[Jinx]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the site for HPC (3200MW) is about 450 acres or something? Compared to Hinkley B (1250MW), which is about 20 acres?!

Not sure about that, it’s a big site for sure and there are other works that are part of it externally such as a large park and ride site from the M5 at Bridgwater, but here is a satellite view..

E902D60B-49FE-46A4-99BE-C44E51379278.jpeg (136.34 KiB) Viewed 1825 times

Looks nearly 4x the size but it will shrink again once construction offices are removed.