Materials for Hinkley Point C delivered by sea
New jetty to play key role in reducing road transport, carbon emissions and local traffic disruption
THOUSANDS of tonnes of aggregate from Hanson UK’s Whatley Quarry, near Frome, will be transported by sea to the site of EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C (HPC) new nuclear power station in Somerset, now that the project’s jetty is fully operational.
The 500m long jetty – longer than any other pier in the South West – will help to avoid the need for tens of thousands of lorry journeys and their associated emissions during the course of the power station’s construction.
Stewart Cameron, head of nuclear operations at Hanson UK, said: ‘The jetty supports EDF Energy in their efforts to deliver the UK’s largest construction project as efficiently and sustainably as possible, and will play a crucial role in helping to reduce the number of lorry movements while reducing emissions and providing less traffic disruption to local communities.’
As well as 2.5 million tonnes of aggregate, Hanson have provided raw materials for the concrete used in HPC’s record-breaking 9,000 cubic metre continuous pour for the foundations upon which all of the first nuclear reactor’s buildings will sit.
The company has also supplied 210,000 tonnes of marine sand, 51,000 cubic metres of concrete, 65,000 tonnes of cement, 105,000 tonnes of Regen GGBS and 125,000 tonnes of asphalt for the project to date.
HPC is committed to the use of local construction materials and in excess of £1 billion has already been spent directly with business in the South West. More than 4,000 people are working on site and, once complete, the new nuclear plant will provide low-carbon electricity for around 6 million homes.
