In Pictures: Hinkley Point C receives heaviest delivery yet

Measuring 25 metres in length and weighing 520 tonnes, the steam generator was transported by sea and road. The component travelled the final four miles by road transporter after arriving from Avonmouth at Combwich Wharf on the River Parrett in Somerset.

The steam generator travelling by barge to Combwich Wharf (Image: EDF Energy)

"The generator's arrival is in time for the fit-out of the new power station, which will see the first nuclear reactor installed later this year," EDF Energy said.

The steam generator getting ready to leave Combwich Wharf (Image: EDF Energy)

(Image: EDF Energy)

The first of two 13-metre, 500-tonne reactor pressure vessels for Hinkley Point C - which was built by Framatome at its Le Creusot facility in Burgundy, central France - was delivered to the site in February 2023.

Construction of Hinkley Point C - composed of two EPR reactors of 1630 MWe each - began in December 2018, with unit 1 of the plant originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025, before that was revised to 2027 in May 2022. In January EDF announced that the "base case" was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030, with the cost revised from GBP26 billion to between GBP31-34 billion, in 2015 prices. When operational, the plant is expected to provide enough power for 6 million homes for at least 60 years.