GE Power’s Steam Power has commenced manufacturing the first rotor of the Arabelle steam turbine for the 3.2GW Hinkley Point C project in the UK.
Image: Aerial view of the construction at the Hinkley Point C nuclear project in the UK. Photo: courtesy of EDF Energy.
Production work is being carried out at GE’s centre of excellence in Belfort, France and is part of a contract awarded to GE in May 2016.
Under the contract, GE will be responsible for delivering two conventional power islands for Hinkley Point C project, including the Arabelle steam turbine, generator, and other critical equipment.
The Arabelle turbines being designed for the nuclear project will be capable of generating 2% more power than a traditional configuration and. It will have the capacity to produce 1,770MW each.
GE said that the start of first-line rotor manufacturing activities marks a key step in the execution of the HPC project as it enables the manufacturing process of further turbine components.
The first 1,770MW EPR reactor unit for the Hinkley Point C project is scheduled to be completed by 2025. The project is developed by EDF Energy, a fully-owned subsidiary of UK-based low-carbon electricity producer EDF Group.
GE Power Steam Power business operations senior executive Matthias Schweinfest said: “We are very pleased with the progress of the Hinkley Point C project. We are on track with the project, which is expected to deliver around 7% of the UK’s power generation capacity for the next 60 years.
“GE’s Arabelle steam turbine, which represents 6 decades of nuclear steam turbine expertise, is the prime solution to ensure the delivery of clean, reliable power that will bolster the UK’s energy infrastructure.”
Said to be UK’s first nuclear power station built in more than twenty years, the project will have capacity to generate electricity enough to power 6 million homes.
The project is expected to meet about 7% of the UK’s power demands for the next 60 years.