17 Jul 2023

Milestone achieved ahead of schedule

In April 2023, the first of a series of pumps in Unit 1’s safeguard building were installed, delivering water for the sprinkler safety system.

The installation of the first pump in mid-April was a significant milestone, weighing 6.5 tonnes which cools the sprinkler safety system under the dome, critical for maintaining nuclear safety standards. The pump was delivered from Avonmouth and anchored temporarily at the -9.6m level. The focus will now turn towards aligning the nozzles and electrical points to connect it to the relevant pipework and electrical systems.

The pump features a 160kW water-cooled motor and was manufactured by Flowserve Pompes in Arnage, France. It underwent a 400-hour endurance testing to ensure its reliability.

Gavin Schlechter, MEH Building Lead, said: “MEH already had a proven process for installing walled-in tanks in the Nuclear Island, but this pump is a more complex and highly sensitive piece of mechanical equipment. For this reason, a step up of the existing processes was required.

“As this is one of the first pieces of rotating equipment going into Nuclear Island, it felt like a true landmark moment.”