Hinkley Point C in southwest England has completed a 620-metre tunnel beneath the Bristol Channel as part of a dedicated system designed to return fish safely to the sea. The tunnel boring machine completed the five-month excavation before being recovered by a floating crane for cleaning and reuse at another site.
The tunnel forms part of Hinkley Point C’s wider marine protection system, bringing the total length of marine tunnels constructed for the project to more than eight kilometres. The fish return tunnel is 1.8 metres in diameter and will carry fish that enter the cooling-water system back into the Bristol Channel.
The plant will also use four low-speed water intake heads designed to allow fish to swim away from the intakes from as close as two metres, as well as an underwater acoustic deterrent to keep fish away from the cooling-water system. EDF says the combined £700 million fish-protection programme will provide more fish protection measures than any other power plant.
Hinkley Point C is being built with two 1,630MW EPR reactors. When operational, the plant is expected to generate enough zero-carbon electricity for around six million homes. Unit 1 is currently targeted for operation in 2030, following earlier schedule revisions.
Image: WNN,EDF