Late June 2020, Bertin Technologies successfully supplied the Hinkley Point C Project – a joint-venture between EDF and China General Nuclear Power Group – with a first batch of 4 filtration devices named “trash racks” to equip Hinkley Point C, the first new nuclear power station to be in the United-Kingdom for a generation.
In case of Loss-Of-Coolant Accident (LOCA), these stainless-steel racks will prevent debris (pipes, concrete blocks, insulation materials, etc.) from scattering and getting into the In-containment Refuelling Water Storage Tank (IRWST), and will therefore keep them from compromising the reactor core cooling. Each trash rack weights 1 ton and measures 2.9m long and 2.7m wide.
As project leader, Bertin was in charge of the design studies, including drawings, justification calculations, manufacturing specifications and procedures, along with raw materials procurement and quality management.
Being a recognized expert in nuclear instrumentation, Bertin has a long history as designer and supplier of filtration systems for Nuclear Power Plants. Indeed, not only had it equipped second-generation plants in both France and China, but also third-generation stations in Finland and China.
The manufacture of 4 additional trash racks for Hinkley Point C Unit 2 is underway.
** The Hinkley Point C project consists in building 2 new nuclear reactors in Somerset, South-West England, to supply 7% of the UK electricity needs.
