This summer, Hinkley Point C will hit a major milestone: the dome lift on its second reactor building. The milestone isn’t just symbolic—it’s a clear sign of faster progress, sharper execution, and growing momentum for new nuclear in Britain.

On Unit 2, construction is moving more quickly and efficiently than it did on Unit 1. By the time the dome is lifted, 40% more work will have been completed, and fewer people on site will have delivered significantly more progress. Nearly 300 tonnes of structural steel will already be installed inside the building, compared to just 10 tonnes at the same point on Unit 1. Even assembling the massive polar crane is 40% faster this time around.

The message is simple: repeat builds work. And it’s exactly why the industry is looking to Sizewell C—Hinkley’s twin—as the next step.

The project team has transformed how the station is built. Prefabrication in civil construction is now approaching 60%, with large sections being manufactured off-site and lifted into place in full—including entire rooms and giant components like the recent 170-tonne staircase “megalift,” installed using the Big Carl crane.

“We have trained a new workforce and built the nuclear supply chain. Now those skilled workers and businesses can give Britain the energy security and economic growth it needs at Sizewell C, together with Small Modular Reactors and future large nuclear plants.”

— Stuart Crooks, CEO of Hinkley Point C

While Hinkley remains the only new nuclear power station currently under construction in Britain, it has paved the way for what comes next. Sizewell C, SMRs, and future large-scale projects all stand to benefit from the experience, capability, and innovation already in place.

And with the Spending Review due next week, the case for investing in proven nuclear delivery has never been stronger. Hinkley is showing what’s possible when we build again—and Sizewell C is the opportunity to go even further.