World’s largest crane places 551-ton nuclear reactor vessel at UK’s new nuclear plant

At Hinkley Point C in the UK, the Big Carl crane installed a 551-ton reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2.

The two-day lift rotated the Framatome-made vessel upright and lowered it into place with very tight clearances.

The operation was faster and more space-efficient than the Unit 1 method, reflecting lessons learned on site.

The milestone marks major progress for one of the UK’s largest nuclear projects and may inform future builds like Sizewell C.