Work ramps up on the MEH phase
The Mechanical, Electrical Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (MEH)– phase of works at HPC is ramping up. Five tanks, the first major installation works in the MEH phase, are now in place and will form part of the drainage and vent system in of reactor unit 1. The work is led by the MEH Alliance, a ground-breaking partnership formed to create one central team to deliver the vital MEH phase of works. The MEH Alliance brings together four major supply chain partners: Altrad, Balfour Beatty Bailey, Cavendish Nuclear and Doosan Babcock, to work in partnership with EDF. Together the members of the MEH Alliance operate across 13 nuclear licensed sites in the UK and bring more than 65 years’ experience to the Project.
Pipe-laying progress on Unit 2
The Socea-Denys team is making great progress as it continues rebar and pipe-laying installation works on Unit 2. The team first started works on Unit 2 back in December, initially pouring blinding concrete to raise the areas to the required level for the main installation works, before commencing on the steel-fixing phase. Each time the team completes rebar installation on a specific section, it mobilises a 750-tonne mobile crane. The crane helps install each section of the ‘Circuit de Refroidissement’ (CRF) pipework in Unit 2 and then it’s demobilised after the section has been completed. Bieke Bekaert, Project Manager, said: “We’ve installed more than 225m of pipes so far out of a total of 616m and this progress has allowed us to bring welders into the team.”
First kilometre of tunnel excavated
The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) team has passed 1km of tunnelling for the first reactor’s cooling water intake tunnel. Alistair Geddes, Project Director for HPC Marine Works, said: “This is a brilliant display of the dedication and collaboration from the whole HPC Marine team: from the segment factory in Avonmouth and the quality team including information management, to the spray concrete lining team and from EDF to our supply chain. Without all elements working closely together, reaching this milestone would not have been possible.”
Taken from The Point July 2020