Nuclear Power Stations
Nuclear power generates around 19% of the UK's electricity as of 2020, using 15 operational nuclear reactors at nine plants (14 advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) and one pressurised water reactor (PWR), supported by a nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
The UK established the world’s first commercial civil nuclear programme, opening a nuclear power station, Calder Hall at Windscale, in 1956, although the 5 MW "semi-experimental" reactor at Obninsk in the Soviet Union was connected to the public supply in 1954.
At the peak in 1997, 26% of the nation's electricity was generated from nuclear power. Since then a number of reactors have ceased generation and the share had declined to 19% by 2012. The last Magnox plant closed in 2015. The older AGR reactors have been life-extended, and further life-extensions across the AGR fleet are likely.
All the operating UK nuclear power stations are now owned by EdF of France, who are also constructiong a large new station, Hinkley Point C.
Dates are when construction started and when the reactors were finally shut down.
- 1953 Calder Hall - Closed 2003
- 1955 Chapelcross - Closed 2004
- 1957 Berkeley - Closed 1989
- 1957 Bradwell - Closed 2002
- 1957 Hinkley Point A - Closed 2000
- 1957 Hunterston A - Closed 1990
- 1959 Trawsfynydd - Closed 1991
- 1960 Dungeness A - Closed 2006
- 1961 Sizewell A - Closed 2006
- 1962 Oldbury - Closed 2012
- 1963 Wylfa - Closed 2015
- 1963 Winfrith SGHWR - Closed 1990
- 1965 Dungeness B
- 1967 Hinkley Point B
- 1967 Hunterston B
- 1968 Hartlepool
- 1968 Dounreay PFR - Closed 1994
- 1970 Heysham 1
- 1980 Heysham 2
- 1980 Torness
- 1988 Sizewell B
See Also
Sources of Information
- Wikipedia, accessed 22 Feb 2020