U.K. Shuts Oldest Operating Nuclear Plant

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- The world's oldest operating nuclear power station has been shut down in the U.K. after 44 years of service.

The twin-reactor Oldbury plant near Bristol in England has been operating since 1967 and, in its lifetime, delivered 137.5 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, enough to power a million homes for over 20 years. The decision to shut down the remaining Reactor One early was first announced last October by operator Magnox Limited (Berkeley, England), site owner Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) (Cumbria, England) and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) (Bootle, England), an independent regulator. Oldbury was not due to shut down until the end of this year but Magnox claimed that operating the plant beyond February 2012 would not be financially viable. For additional information, see October 26, 2011, article - Oldbury Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down in Early 2012.

Oldbury's Reactor Two was shut down in June 2011. The plant was originally due for closure in 2008 but won a stay of execution from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which extended its lifespan. Since 2008, the plant generated and additional 7.4 TWh of electricity, worth an estimated €420 million ($558 million), which will be used to help decommission the site.

"Oldbury has been producing low carbon power for four decades now, making a significant contribution to meeting the U.K.'s electricity demand," said Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy. "Plans for a new nuclear power station adjacent to the current site are an encouraging sign that Oldbury will play a role in our energy future too. The safe operation of the plant is a testament to the hard work of its staff. As attention turns to the decommissioning and clean-up of the site, it will continue to remain a vital source of employment in the local area."

Oldbury 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. Ten of those plants are now closed with only the Wylfa nuclear plant in Anglesey still in operation. Wylfa's pair of 490-megawatt (MW) reactors are supposed to shut down at the end of this year but the NDA is seeking permission to extend their lives to the end of 2014.

Phil Sprague, Oldbury Site Director, said: "Oldbury has been a terrific success story for the U.K. nuclear industry. We have generated safe, carbon free electricity for 44 years which is a remarkable achievement when you consider that the original plant design life was just 25 years. Our main focus for the coming months is to prepare our staff and the plant for the defueling of the reactors, whilst continuing to maintain the very high standards for safety that we have created here. On-going support for our staff as we make these changes will be key for the rest of this year."

Horizon Nuclear Power (Gloucester, England), a joint venture between RWE npower (Swindon, England) and E.ON UK, is planning to construct a 3,300 MW nuclear power plant at Oldbury.

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