HPC LOGISTICS: TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

OPEN LEARNING APPROACH INFORMS LOGISTICS 

As a Tier 1 supplier, we look back with pride on many milestones in our work at Hinkley Point C (HPC). One of the earliest projects involved bringing two tunnel borers into the UK from Germany – both manufactured in a controlled, factory environment. This involved an ocean voyage and an innovative, inland waterway solution.

It was a great opportunity to demonstrate our ‘working better, together’ approach, which involves open learning. The lessons learned in our planning and execution can be used to inform other, similar logistics’ plans in the future.

DETAILED ROUTE ANALYSIS AND EQUIPMENT CHOICES

• Our recommended solution started with a route analysis that surveyed every available inch, both on land and on water.
• From the outset, we gathered as much data as possible so that our learnings might be shared with other nuclear installation project managers, in the future.
• The two tunnel borers were transported with a multi-modal solution that made best use of our inventory. A flat top barge, floating RoRo by SPMT, and door-to-door AIL delivery.
• We raised the bar for standards while prioritising quality and safety, meaning a great deal of this knowledge can be passed onto future contract partners. This reduces the learning cycles that improve safety and productivity.
• Pooling our teams’ experience, the use of our plan meant that HPC reduced the time and resources involved in site-based fabrication. The marine delivery also helped to minimise disruption for the local community.

OPEN LEARNING SUPPORTS NET ZERO LOGISTICS

At Osprey, we believe in ‘open learning’. It’s the right approach, to maximise our contribution to a sustainable future and Net Zero ambitions. The transportation of tunnel borers isn’t an everyday occurrence, but it is a milestone for nuclear construction. Our insights from the HPC move will be valuable to other nuclear project managers. It’s how we approach all of our projects – working better, together.