Isolation Caps Designed, Manufactured and Delivered for Balfour Beatty at Hinkley Point C

Challenge

Balfour Beatty required specialist engineered systems to support construction activities associated with the cooling water tunnels at Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station in England. A critical element of the scope was enabling personnel to work safely within the tunnels while preventing water ingress and providing a controlled means of subsequently flooding the tunnels.

The equipment therefore had to operate reliably within a highly demanding application and meet the stringent safety, quality and assurance requirements associated with major nuclear infrastructure.

Solution

THREE60 drew on decades of experience delivering complex engineered handling systems to design, manufacture, assemble and test four large-scale handling frames and six purpose-designed isolation caps. The novel isolation caps were engineered to create a secure barrier against water ingress, allowing personnel to safely undertake construction activities within the cooling tunnels.

Following completion of the tunnel works, the systems were designed to be operated remotely from a vessel, allowing controlled flooding before failsafe locking mechanisms were released and the caps removed. The isolation caps were also designed with future reuse in mind, enabling them to be redeployed should access to the tunnels be required for future maintenance.

THREE60 managed the engineering, fabrication, assembly and testing of the equipment, drawing on expertise from across the wider business to meet the project's exacting technical, safety and quality requirements.

Result

THREE60 successfully manufactured, tested and delivered all four handling frames and six nuclear-grade isolation caps for Balfour Beatty at Hinkley Point C. The bespoke systems provided a safety-critical solution supporting construction of the cooling water infrastructure while also providing the flexibility for future tunnel maintenance. The project demonstrates THREE60's ability to transfer complex engineering, manufacturing and offshore handling expertise into highly regulated infrastructure and nuclear applications.

A word from New Energy Director, Simon Wain 

“This project required us to work to the highest possible safety and quality standards, which is something that we're very used to doing. It  allowed us to demonstrate the depth and breadth of our skills in designing, fabricating, assembling, and testing complicated machinery that is fit for purpose and can be delivered to the customers’ requirements. This has been a project that's required us to draw on expertise from across the THREE60 business and out into the wider group – every single one of those individuals have gone the extra mile and have impressed me and our customer with their skill,  capability and their dedication. This project has been a career highlight for me and I am very proud of our team”.