Hinkley Point C Fish Return

Tunnelling begins on underground fish protection

HPC is located on the coast because it will need lots of water to cool the high-pressure steam that spins our turbines. Kier BAM has launched an 80-tonne Tunnel Boring Machine that will dig for 620 metres under the seabed to accommodate our fish return system. The tunnel is one of three fish protection systems at HPC and will take fish away from our cooling systems if they enter our intake heads.

The machine will crush and liquify rock and cut hard materials as it travels underground at around 16 metres per day. Digging under the Bristol Channel means avoiding known gas pockets and always health and safety is the number one priority during the operation.

Launch Area

KIER BAM has a relatively small launch area to work from onshore, where make the logistics of fitting the equipment and precast concrete sections into the tunnel technically challenging. Recovering the machine afterwards and taking it away by barge will be another big challenge,
due to tight tides, strong currents and short operational windows at sea. Khaled Cheek, Kier BAM Agent, said: “Successfully launching the machine was the result of months of rigorous preparation and teamwork. “It’s been rewarding to see our plans come to life as we begin the drive for the Fish Return Tunnel, a project that sits at the very heart of HPC’s environmental commitments.”