Hinkley Point C

Logistics is critical when delivering large scale infrastructure projects and its role in the Hinkley Point C construction shows how the sector is a key part of the solution for reaching the UK’s net zero targets.

Hinkley Point C, the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for a generation, is a precision engineering project requiring a precision logistics operation. The project is one of the largest collaborative supply chains in the UK consisting of 180 ‘Tier 1’ contracts across construction, technology, components and operations. When fully operational Hinkley Point C will generate enough low-carbon electricity for six million homes for the next 60 years.

Since 2018, Wincanton has been the official warehouse and transport service partner for Hinkley Point C and is responsible for operating over one million square feet of warehouse operations controlling the storage, handling, asset tracking and transportation for incoming materials from multiple warehouse locations both on and off-site.

With such a vast, complex supply chain and unparalleled security and safety requirements, Wincanton’s logistics skills and experience are critical to maintain the supply chain’s efficiency and integrity.

Mega Project.

The numbers involved in the project are startling: 8,500 people work on the 432-acre site, and 230,000 tonnes of steel and 1.8 million cubic metres of concrete will be used during construction. When building a complex and vast £26 billion construction puzzle, the logistics operation is critical to ensure the right thing is in the right place at the right time. The risk of costly disruptions to build schedules is high, and Wincanton plays a pivotal role in minimising downtime by ensuring surety of supply across many thousands of product lines.

Collaboration.

The project highlights the varied jobs and roles that exist in the logistics sector and show how seamless collaboration whether working in operations management, handling, asset-tracking or materials transportation is what will ultimately ensure the project’s successful completion.

Milestone
Achieved.

Wincanton was instrumental in ensuring the HPC project met a key milestone with the installation of the Unit 2 CRF Outlet Pipes. The CRF pipes are key components of the water intake system installed for the cooling of the nuclear reactors and Wincanton managed the receipt, storage, and delivery of over 260 pipes.

There were 16 different pipe types – up to 4.1m in diameter and weighing as much as 23.2 tonnes. The pipes were shipped in segments to the Wincanton-operated site, where they were stored until required. The Wincanton operation enabled stock levels of the pipes to be built close to the construction site which reduced lead times and enabled the manufacturing facility to protect capacity.

To increase efficiency further, The CRF pipes were inspected at the point of receipt, during storage and at the point of despatch to guarantee the pipes received at the construction site were ready for deployment as required.