The third and final ring on the first reactor building, which will eventually contain one of Hinkley Point C’s two nuclear reactors, was installed in the early hours of 12 December 2022.

Still wind conditions allowed engineers to carry out the lift overnight. The 304-tonne steel liner ring was lifted onto the first reactor building. The liner ring, prefabricated in a factory on site, also features supporting brackets for the Polar Crane Beam. This internal crane will be able to rotate 360° above the reactor, and be used for refuelling purposes.

This installation added 11.6 metres in height to the building, which now stands at 44 metres. The Hinkely Point C reactor building now only has the ‘lid’ to be placed on top, with the dome lift scheduled for next year.

The lift was performed by Big Carl, the world’s largest crane, an SGC-250, or Sarens Giant Crane, made in Belgium. Named after Carl Sarens, the director of global operations and technical solutions at Belgian crane manufacturer Sarens, it is able to carry 5,000 tonnes in a single lift, and stands almost 250 metres tall.