kravietz 🦇 on Nostr: Two weeks ago Hinkley Point C #nuclear power plant project closed the first reactor ...

Two weeks ago Hinkley Point C #nuclear power plant project closed the first reactor building with a 245 ton steel dome. The dome has been lifted by "Big Carl" crane, named because it's one of the largest such devices in the world, built specifically for the HPC project. The actual reactor is going to be installed next year. This one-in-kind design is great for energy efficiency but it also means one-in-kind complexity, which has plagued the project's schedule from the beginning. Now the electricity generation is expected to start in 4 years, which is quite plausible as so far the project has been going according to the schedule. But when it starts, it will allow to almost instantly replace around half of current fossil gas generation in the UK and prevent emissions of 8 millions of tons of CO2 per year.