News
Nuclear collaboration for Air Coolers
Eurovent certified manufacturer, LU-VE Group, has entered the nuclear energy sector with a 27 million euro contract for the Hinkley Point C power plant in the UK. Italian company, LU-VE, will supply the UK's first new generation nuclear power plant with specially designed Air Coolers through its Friulian subsidiary Refrion.
The project
The agreement will see the supply of cooling systems for the EDGs (emergency diesel generators). The value of the contract, signed with the Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB) through the UK contractor Bouygues Energies & Services, is for approximately 27 million euros, with the supply of the first batches starting in 2025.
Once competed, the complex and technologically advanced engineering project will provide 7% of the United Kingdom's electricity consumption. The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, built by EDF Energy, the British division of the French multinational electricity company EDF SA, is one of the largest projects ever undertaken in Europe. It will be capable of generating 3,260 MW of electricity, contributing to Britain's goal of obtaining zero-carbon electricity for about 6 million homes, with a savings of 9 million tons of CO2 each year.
The product
LU-VE's high-tech systems, designed to withstand shock waves caused by explosions and earthquakes, will cool the emergency diesel generators (EDGs) located within the nuclear island of the power plant. These generators are activated when the nuclear plant is disconnected from the grid, ensuring the power supply to critical components such as the reactor cooling system, which is necessary to ensure a controlled shutdown in an emergency.
The project involves the creation of Air Coolers with entirely copper coils and high-strength steel structures, equipped with motors and fans developed in co-design with international players in the nuclear industry.
The components have been designed to last for the entire 60-year life cycle of the plant, in line with LU-VE's goal - also in projects for other sectors - to integrate sustainability principles and standards to reduce environmental impact in all phases of the process, from design to product engineering.
Matteo Liberali, Chairman and CEO of LU-VE Group, stated: “We are proud to have been chosen to work on a project of this scale and complexity. Entering the nuclear sector, achieved through our subsidiary Refrion, is an important step in our growth path, which offers new opportunities in light of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan just submitted by the Italian Government to Brussels, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
Proven performance
Being able to trust performance, reliability and energy efficiency is an important step in specifying products for complex, highly technical and innovative projects, such as the Hinkley Point C power plant.
For the HVAC and Refrigeration professional the added value of choosing a Eurovent certified product includes:
- Assurance that HVAC and Refrigeration systems will perform as expected.
- Free access to transparent, reliable and universally understood performance data, to search and compare products.
- The assurance that product data is accurate and has been independently tested by an expert, third-party.