Massive Electrical and Instrumentation Contract Awarded for Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Project

BGEN, one of the UK’s largest engineering firms, has been awarded an £84 million project by GE Steam Power Systems to provide electrical and instrumentation solutions to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is a two-unit EPR nuclear power station under construction in Somerset, England.

When complete, Hinkley Point C is expected to deliver 7% of the UK’s CO₂-free energy for the next 60 years. The plant is expected to supply more than 3.2 GW to the grid—enough to power about 6 million homes, whilst saving 9 million tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

GE Steam Power will supply the two conventional power islands for HPC, which include Arabelle steam turbines, generators, and other critical equipment. The Arabelle design produces 2% more power output than a traditional configuration and has a 99.96% reliability rate, with each turbine-generator set capable of producing 1,770 MW of electrical power.

BGEN’s remit includes the design, supply, and installation of electrical and instrumentation packages for Unit 1 and Unit 2 Turbine Halls of the nuclear power plant. In terms of electrical scope, BGEN’s turnkey project solution includes the installation of the Isolated Phase Busducts (IPBs), design verification, seismic qualification, supply and installation of structural support and containment systems, the installation of electrical equipment and cables, and termination and testing work.

BGEN’s project scope for instrumentation engineering includes the design and seismic qualification of instrument frames and canopies, the fabrication and final assembly of instrumentation and associated equipment, the supply and installation of structural support and containment systems and instrument tubing, the installation of field instruments and associated equipment, as well as cable installation, termination, and testing.

Zied Ben-Chabaane, site director at GE Steam Power Systems, said, “We are delighted to sign the subcontractor agreement, for the electrical and instrumentation and control package at Hinkley Point C, with our preferred bidder, UK electrical subcontractor BGEN.

“In doing so, we mark a very important milestone in our subcontracting journey, which will support our Hinkley Point C project execution plan. Our agreement is the result of effective collaboration, cooperation, and camaraderie amongst our teams at GE Steam Power Systems, BGEN, as well as the support from our client and EDF Energy subsidiary, NNB GenCo.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved for their great work and dedication to be able to reach this achievement. We are very confident that together with BGEN, this project will be a great success.”

Robin Whitehead, CEO of BGEN (Figure 1), said: “This contract that we’ve secured with GE Power Systems is our latest prestigious win within the nuclear energy sector. It’s testament to our proven collaborative approach and ability to deliver turnkey solutions in a highly regulated environment.”

—POWER edited this content, which was contributed by a marketing and communications firm representing BGEN.