Thirty crane operators at Hinkley Point C have been issued redundancy notifications as parts of the site’s operations begin to be gradually scaled back
As sections of the Hinkley Point C project near completion, the demand for tower cranes has decreased, resulting in the redundancy of 30 crane operators.
Speaking to reporters, one worker described recent developments as ‘a difficult two weeks for all concerned.’
Construction managers will provide support to those being made redundant
A spokesperson for main contractor Bylor, a joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O’Rourke delivering the main civil engineering works, commented on the Hinkley Point C crane operators’ redundancies: “As work on Hinkley Point C progresses, the needs for plant and skills on the project evolve.
“The number of workers on site has been changing for years depending on the project phases and the expertise required and we have planned for current phasing.
“As always, we will work with anyone impacted by project phasing to ensure they are supported through the process.”
Big Carl: the giant crane behind Hinkley Point C’s construction milestones
Hinkley Point C, the UK’s first nuclear power station in 30 years, is being built on the Hinkley Point headland in Somerset, the site of the former Hinkley Point A and B plants. Central to the project’s progress has been the use of specialist cranes capable of handling some of the heaviest and most complex lifts in the world.
At the heart of these operations is Big Carl, the SGC-250 named after Carl Serens, founder of the company that designed it. By the end of the project, the giant machine will have placed around 700 critical components.
Powered by 12 engines and running on a 6km track with 96 wheels, Big Carl can lift up to 5,000 tonnes using 52 counterweight containers of 100 tonnes each, making it the largest crane currently in operation worldwide.
Its capabilities have already proved vital. In October last year, it successfully lifted the final steel liner ring for Unit 2 — a massive structure weighing 423 tonnes, measuring 11.6 metres in height, and spanning 47 metres in diameter.
