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Nuclear history
Britain was home to the world's first industrial-scale nuclear power station in the 1950s, and over the past six decades it has continued to play an important role in Britain's energy mix. But in recent years the situation has started to weaken as British plants begin to retire, they are not replaced.
Recent developments in nuclear power plants, such as Hinkley Point C and Wylfa Newydd, have been affected by problems, leaving the United Kingdom's nuclear future in the long term uncertain.
So how did nuclear grow up and go off in the UK?
1956 – Calder Hall
Calder Hall was the first nuclear power plant in the world to be industrial. Built in Cumbria at a cost of £ 35 million, it began operating in 1956 and was decommissioned only in 2003. The plant had four reactors and a total capacity of 194 MW.
1959 – Chapelcross 1, 2 and 3 (4 in 1960)
Scotland's first nuclear power plant was Chapelcross in Dumfries. The production of reactors 1, 2 and 3 began in 1959, with Chapelcross 4 starting in 1960. The plant had a maximum capacity of 196 MW and operated for more than 40 years. Decommissioning began in 2004 and the final release of the site is scheduled for 2095.
1962 – Bradwell 1 and 2
Production began in 1962 and had a capacity of 242 MW in the Bradwells 1 and 2 in Esbad. Decommissioning began in 2002 with all fuel removed from the site in 2005.
1962 – Berkeley 1 and 2
Berkeley 1 and 2 also began producing power in 1962, but decommissioning began in 1989, making this first nuclear power plant the UK. The plant, located on the banks of the Severn at Gloucester, had a total capacity of 276 MW.
1965 – Hinkley Point A
The first nuclear reactor built at the Hinkley site in Somerset began producing power in 1965 and was decommissioned in 2000. The plant had a capacity of 500 MW.
1966 – Sizewell A
In 1966, Sizewell A began operations in Suffolk at a cost of £ 65 million. The two reactors of the plant had a total capacity of 420 MW, which were decommissioned in 2006.
1971 – Wylfa 1 and 2
The construction of Wylfa 1 and 2, Wales' second nuclear power plant on Anglesey Island, began in 1963 and began generating power in 1971. The plant had a capacity of 980 MW and continued to produce until 2015, when decommissioning began.
1995 – Sizewell B
The last nuclear power plant built and connected to the grid was Sizewell B in 1995. With a capacity of 1,188 MW, it is currently operated by EDF Energy and is the only pressurized water reactor in the United Kingdom. It is planned to continue production until 2035, when it will be decommissioned and the site used for another reactor.
1997 – THORP
The Sellafield THORP nuclear fuel reprocessing plant officially opened in 1997. It was announced in 2018 that its activities had been halted, but the plant will continue to store used fuel until it reaches the end of the year. in the 2070s. The construction cost 1.8 billion pounds.
2018 – Hinkley Point C
The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant was approved by the British government in 2016 and on March 27, 2017, the Office for Nuclear Regulation approved the construction of the plant. Work began in 2018 and the first reactor is expected to be operational by 2025, according to majority owner EDF Energy. It is the only nuclear power plant under construction in the United Kingdom and is expected to cost about £ 20 billion, with a capacity of 3,200 MW.
2019 – Wylfa Newydd
Horizon was planning a new plant at Anglesey, next to the site of the previous nuclear power plant being dismantled. However, the future of the £ 20 billion Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant is currently uncertain, with Horizon's parent company Hitachi suspending its development plans. The plant was to have a capacity of 2,900 MW and to be operational by the mid-2020s to be able to continue to operate for 60 years.
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