Bilfinger delivers core meltdown stabilisation system for Hinkley Point C

Industrial services provider Bilfinger has completed and delivered the Core Melt Stabilization System (CMSS) for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in the UK.

The CMSS is a key safety-relevant component for the power plant. According to Bilfinger, in the event of a core meltdown, this system acts as a defined predetermined breaking point and helps to bring the core meltdown to a safe condition.

During regular operation, the fusible plug below the reactor pressure vessel can be used as a maintenance hole.

The CMSS consists of several structural elements weighing several tonnes that act as a safeguard beneath the reactor block.

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Merry Edakkolathur, project manager at EDF, who is to project owner of Hinkley Point C, said in a statement: “Bilfinger delivered a convincing performance not only with comprehensive expertise and the highest quality standards in the engineering, manufacture and delivery of the core melt stabilization system but also with a maximum degree of flexibility and efficiency for prompt execution.”

In parallel, Bilfinger is working on several piping construction projects for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant. They will manufacture hundreds of kilometres of corrosion-protected pipe spools with diameters ranging from 10 to 800 millimetres and wall thicknesses from 2 to 60 millimetres.

The total order volume for Bilfinger’s scope on the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant amounts to over half a billion euro.

Hinkley Point C is the first new nuclear power station to be built in the UK in over 20 years. It is situated in Somerset and will provide low-carbon electricity for around 6 million homes.

The electricity generated by its two EPR reactors will offset 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, or 600 million tonnes over its 60-year lifespan.