Wood to provide inspection qualification services for UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear project

UK-based energy services company Wood has secured a new contract to provide inspection qualification services to the Hinkley Point C project.

Laurent Cassai, a non-destructive testing technician at Wood, carries out an ultrasonic scan of a reactor pressure vessel test piece. Credit: Wood.

UK-based energy services company Wood has secured a new contract to provide inspection qualification services to the Hinkley Point C project.

To be the first new nuclear power station built in 22 years, the 3,200MWe project is located in Somerset, England. It will feature two 1.6GW pressurised water reactors (PWR).

Project developer EDF Energy has commissioned Wood’s Inspection Validation Centre (IVC) to qualify ultrasonic inspections on high-integrity welds in primary circuit components for the two reactors.

The initial task order of the contract for inspection qualification services is $16m.

“Our role is to independently check the inspection methods and assess and qualify the inspectors who will apply them.”

Wood CEO Robin Watson said: “Our role is to independently check the inspection methods and assess and qualify the inspectors who will apply them, to ensure that they can detect any defects that could compromise the structural integrity of critical reactor components during the plant’s lifetime.

“Our certificated, independent, accredited service forms part of the safety case for Hinkley Point C and enables our customer to satisfy the UK nuclear regulator’s requirements on inspection qualification.”

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Under the deal, Wood will evaluate inspection procedures and staff, as well as the supporting technical justifications. It will also conduct practical trials to demonstrate that safety objectives can be met.

The company will also use flaw implantation techniques to create faults in welded test structures to ensure that the inspectors can find and identify them.

The project will help generate 35 new job opportunities at Wood’s IVC, which works with specialist suppliers worldwide.

The power station is planned to be under construction for ten years. The project will be able to meet 7% of the UK’s total electricity requirements for 60 years.