Sizewell nuclear power stations
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| Sizewell nuclear power stations | |
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  Sizewell nuclear power stations shown within Suffolk |
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| Operator: | British Energy (Sizewell B) |
| Fuel: | Nuclear 1,195MWe (Sizewell B) |
| Commissioned: | 1995 (Sizewell B) |
There are two nuclear power stations located near the small fishing village of Sizewell in Suffolk, England. Sizewell A, with two Magnox reactors, is now in the process of being decommissioned, while Sizewell B has a single pressurised water reactor and is the UK's newest nuclear power station.
Sizewell formerly ran a popular visitor programme, whereby the public could take guided tours through the turbine halls and around the reactor area of Sizewell B, as well as around the Sizewell A building. It had a small science museum type visitors' centre.
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[edit] Sizewell A
Sizewell A nuclear power station was built in the 1960s and started generation in 1966. It consisted of two 1000 MWt Magnox reactors, producing a total electrical power output of 420 MWe. The power station was shutdown on 31 December 2006.[1] The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for placing contracts for the decommissioning of Sizewell A, at a budgeted cost of £1.2 billion.
[edit] Sizewell B
Sizewell B is the UK's only large pressurised water reactor (PWR), and is operated by British Energy. It was built between 1988 and 1995, the main civil engineering contractor being John Laing plc[2]. The original rating was for a net output of 1188 MWe, equivalent to 8.7 TWh in the year of 2005. It was uprated by 1% in 2005 with a thermal power of 3479 MW and an electrical output of 1195 MWe, though this is dependent on sea-water temperature.
As with many other PWRs, Sizewell 'B' operates on an 18-month operating cycle, i.e. at or near 100% output continuously for around 17 months, followed by a month's shutdown for maintenance and refuelling.
Sizewell B was designed for a commercial life of 40 years — i.e., to around 2035 — but similar stations elsewhere have been granted extensions to 60 years.
A distinctive white hemisphere envelopes the outer shell of the twin-walled Containment building that protects the pressurised water reactor and its heat exchangers.
On 27 May 2008, the Sizewell B plant had its first unplanned shutdown for over three years, cutting off its supply to the National Grid.[3] A British Energy spokesman said that the fault involved conventional equipment at the plant rather than any part of the nuclear reactor.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Night falls on Sizewell A, Nuclear Engineering International, 2 April 2007
- ^ British Construction Industry Awards
- ^ a b Sizewell nuclear plant shut down. BBC News (2008-05-27). Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
[edit] See also
- Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
- Energy policy of the United Kingdom
- Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
- List of nuclear reactors
[edit] External links
- British Nuclear Group, Sizewell A
- British Energy — Sizewell B
- International Atomic Energy Agency power station performance data: Sizewell A1, Sizewell A2, Sizewell B
- Sizewell A - Overview of NDA's Draft Strategy
- Gallery: Sizewell B from the BBC
- Living with Sizewell B and Sizewell B given 10 more years from BBC News
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