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Released August 17, 2012 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- The U.K. government has given permission for the old Wylfa nuclear power station to continue generating electricity up until 2014, four years after it was supposed to be shut down.
The decision comes following the successful transfer of partially used fuel from Wylfa Reactor 2 to Reactor 1. This means Wylfa, located on the on the Isle of Anglesey, can continue to generate power until the fuel runs out or until September 2014, whichever comes first. The move was approved by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and supported by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The plant had already received a two year extension to operate until this year. For additional information, see October 14, 2010, article - Welsh Nuclear Plant Gets Two-Year Lifeline.
The process, known as Inter-Reactor Fuel Transfer (IRX), was also used at the Oldbury nuclear plant in South Gloucestershire. Wylfa's Reactor 2 was shut down in April because of limited fuel stocks, following the final shipment of Magnox fuel -- which is no longer manufactured - to the site in 2011.
"Wylfa's continued generation is excellent news and will deliver significant additional revenue to support our clean-up mission," said Brian Burnett, NDA's Head of Programme for Magnox. "My thanks go to Magnox for all its hard work in helping to make this happen."
Wylfa is the largest and last reactor of its type to be built in the U.K and has a generating capacity of 490-megawatts (MW). It is the only Magnox site still generating electricity, following the closure of Oldbury Power Station in March this year. Oldbury, the world's oldest operating nuclear power station, was shut after 44 years of service. For additional information, see March 5, 2012, article -- U.K. Shuts Oldest Operating Nuclear Plant.
The additional income from Wylfa and Oldbury is estimated to be worth around 768 million ($942 million).
Wylfa was one of 11 nuclear power stations in the U.K. that were based on the Magnox reactor design, which was developed in the post-war years and which were the first to deliver nuclear-generated electricity on a commercial scale.
Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, commented: "Wylfa has been generating electricity for homes across the country for over four decades now. This move, based on comprehensive safety assessments, is good for our energy security. It will enable Wylfa to continue generating for two more years, safeguarding jobs and bringing in additional commercial income, which will help contribute to the costs of our nuclear decommissioning programme management of the nuclear legacy."
Future plans for Wylfa and Oldbury were thrown into disarray earlier this year when RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) and fellow German energy company, E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany), jointly announced that they would not proceed to develop new nuclear projects in the U.K. through their Horizon Nuclear Power joint venture.
With Horizon Nuclear Power they had plans to develop up to 6,000 MW of new nuclear plants at Wylfa and Oldbury. For additional information, see March 30, 2012 article - RWE and E.ON Drop U.K. Nuclear Power Joint Venture.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
The decision comes following the successful transfer of partially used fuel from Wylfa Reactor 2 to Reactor 1. This means Wylfa, located on the on the Isle of Anglesey, can continue to generate power until the fuel runs out or until September 2014, whichever comes first. The move was approved by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and supported by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The plant had already received a two year extension to operate until this year. For additional information, see October 14, 2010, article - Welsh Nuclear Plant Gets Two-Year Lifeline.
The process, known as Inter-Reactor Fuel Transfer (IRX), was also used at the Oldbury nuclear plant in South Gloucestershire. Wylfa's Reactor 2 was shut down in April because of limited fuel stocks, following the final shipment of Magnox fuel -- which is no longer manufactured - to the site in 2011.
"Wylfa's continued generation is excellent news and will deliver significant additional revenue to support our clean-up mission," said Brian Burnett, NDA's Head of Programme for Magnox. "My thanks go to Magnox for all its hard work in helping to make this happen."
Wylfa is the largest and last reactor of its type to be built in the U.K and has a generating capacity of 490-megawatts (MW). It is the only Magnox site still generating electricity, following the closure of Oldbury Power Station in March this year. Oldbury, the world's oldest operating nuclear power station, was shut after 44 years of service. For additional information, see March 5, 2012, article -- U.K. Shuts Oldest Operating Nuclear Plant.
The additional income from Wylfa and Oldbury is estimated to be worth around 768 million ($942 million).
Wylfa was one of 11 nuclear power stations in the U.K. that were based on the Magnox reactor design, which was developed in the post-war years and which were the first to deliver nuclear-generated electricity on a commercial scale.
Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, commented: "Wylfa has been generating electricity for homes across the country for over four decades now. This move, based on comprehensive safety assessments, is good for our energy security. It will enable Wylfa to continue generating for two more years, safeguarding jobs and bringing in additional commercial income, which will help contribute to the costs of our nuclear decommissioning programme management of the nuclear legacy."
Future plans for Wylfa and Oldbury were thrown into disarray earlier this year when RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) and fellow German energy company, E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany), jointly announced that they would not proceed to develop new nuclear projects in the U.K. through their Horizon Nuclear Power joint venture.
With Horizon Nuclear Power they had plans to develop up to 6,000 MW of new nuclear plants at Wylfa and Oldbury. For additional information, see March 30, 2012 article - RWE and E.ON Drop U.K. Nuclear Power Joint Venture.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
