The UK's first new nuclear power station has reached a major project milestone.

Work has begun at the Hinkley Point C station to install the 38,000 concrete segments required to support the three underground marine tunnels at up to 33 metres below the seabed of the Bristol Channel. These tunnels will form a critical part of Hinkley Point C's cooling system and will have the capacity to transfer 120,000 litres of water per second.

The new power station will supply safe, secure low carbon electricity to around six million homes.

In a first for the UK and created at Balfour Beatty's innovative manufacturing facility in Avonmouth, pre-fabricated nuclear-grade concrete segments will be made to ensure that each of three Tunnel Boring Machines is able to deliver significant efficiency savings whilst excavating over 11 tonnes of rock per minute.

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Alistair Geddes, Balfour Beatty Project Director, said: "This is a significant milestone, critical to the successful delivery of the first new nuclear power station in the UK for over 20 years. Having installed the first permanent segment ahead of schedule, this milestone is testament to Balfour Beatty's expertise and to the collaborative approach required to deliver a project of this scale and complexity."

Rob Jordan, Hinkley Point C Construction Director added: "The start of tunnelling at Hinkley Point C represents a hidden but vitally important milestone in the construction of the UK's first new nuclear power station in a generation. Delivered to schedule, this achievement underlines the continued progress being made to ensure that Hinkley Point C will be ready to supply the UK with the reliable low carbon electricity that it needs to combat climate change."

(CM/MH)