An "eerie" mystery noise has been reported by locals across large parts of the Bristol Channel. Residents spanning an area of more than 40 miles say "the ground was vibrating" as a loud "repetitive banging" sound echoed across the area late last on Friday, April 21.
It was heard loudly across Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge and Brean - but some people have said they could hear the bangs as far north as Weston-super-Mare and as far west as Minehead, reports Somerset Live.
It has been confirmed that the noise was being emitted from offshore work which recently began at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Two massive "jack-up" vessels - named Neptune and Sea Challenger - are being used to install vertical shafts 20 metres below the surface of the water in the Bristol Channel.
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Andrew Cockcroft, senior stakeholder relations manager at Hinkley Point C said: "Over the next three months, Hinkley Point C will move into the final phase of its marine works. We have notified residents living near the site that this activity has the potential to cause intermittent noise disturbance.
"We will monitor noise levels and are committed to ensuring these works are delivered with minimal disruption to residents and apologise for any inconvenience caused."
"The ground was vibrating"
Locals took to social media to discuss the strange event, with June Day revealing it was "ridiculously loud" at Brean Down. Phyllis Mullaney described it as "eerie", while Angelina Norton said it was "not a nice sound - very strange".
Lynne Curtis said: "The ground was vibrating in Watchet". Tony Cousins said the bangs were "very loud and regular".
Other residents revealed the sound was affecting their pets, and Ann Storey said: "It woke our dog up, who started barking". Denise Steeves added: "It’s upsetting my dog."
What is the work going on offshore?
The final phase of offshore work on Hinkley Point C has begun - as two vast "jack-up" vessels recently arrived on site. The nuclear power station project is due to be completed in September 2028 at a projected cost of £23.7 billion.
The vessels will install vital components for the power stations cooling water system. Sea Challenger measures 132 metres long, or longer than a football pitch, and Neptune measures 60 metres.
The vessels use four long legs to elevate above sea level, allowing them to operate safely without being impacted by waves or currents. The platforms' cranes have a combined lifting capacity of 1,500 tonnes.
Vertical shafts will be installed 20 metres below the surface of the water and will be using to connect six miles of tunnels with the seabed. Miners will then dig a horizontal connection between the base of the shafts and the tunnel to link 5000 tonne intake and outfall heads which were lowered onto the seabed last summer and will be used to circulate water to the two nuclear reactors.
Jonathan Smith, Area Delivery Director, said: "This is one of the final stages of our offshore operations, which will see teams from EDF, Balfour Beatty and New Wave Solutions working together to deliver yet another incredible feat of engineering. The cooling water system is critical to the power station – which will help Britain fight climate change and achieve stronger energy security."
Roger Frost, Balfour Beatty Project Director, added: "The arrival of Neptune and Sea Challenger marks another significant step forward in the successful delivery of the first new nuclear power station in the UK for over 20 years. We now look forward to utilising our unique capability and unrivalled expertise to continue with the linking up of the six miles of tunnels which are buried below the Bristol Channel – this is another important chapter in the offshore works required for Hinkley Point C’s critical water-cooling system."
Hinkley Point noise letter sent to locals
A letter from Hinkley Point sent to residents on April 3 states: "From the middle of April, Hinkley Point C will move into the final phase of offshore marine works. Several boats, including two Jack-up vessels, will be used to link the existing tunnels with the intake heads on the seabed. The link will allow seawater to flow through the power station's cooling system.
"Six vertical shafts will be installed at depths of more than 20 metres and will connect the six miles of tunnels and the intake and outtake heads. This activity has the potential to cause intermittent noise disturbance over the next three months.
"We will monitor noise levels and adjust working times to limit any disturbance to residents close to the Hinkley Point C site. There is the possibility that, for short periods of time, noise levels will be above the limits set out in the Development Consent Order."
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