Oldbury Nuclear Power Station, United Kingdom

Key Data

Oldbury Power Station is a 434MW, twin nuclear reactor station. It is the world's oldest operating nuclear power reactor and the UK's first nuclear power station to use pre-stressed concrete pressure vessels instead of steel.

The plant entered service in 1967. Magnox Electric is the licensee and is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of the power station. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is the owner.

The plant is built on a 175 acres site located on the south bank of the River Severn in South Gloucestershire. The nearest village / town, Oldbury-on-Severn, Bristol, is located 24km away from the power station. The area around the plant site has been specified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area.

Decommissioning the UK's first nuclear power station

The plant was originally scheduled to be decommissioned by 30 December 2008. The deadline, however, was extended twice. Reactor Two got an extension for two and a half years, while Reactor One got four years of extension.

"Oldbury Power Station is a 434MW, twin nuclear reactor station."

Reactor Two was finally decommissioned on 30 June 2011, after 43 years of operations. It produced more than 65TWh in its lifetime. Reactor One will continue to be operational until December 2012.

The Oldbury Nuclear Power Station decommissioning project is estimated to cost £954m. It is expected to take approximately 90 years to attain final site clearance. Defueling of the reactors will take two years. Care and maintenance preparations will start in 2014 and end in 2023.

All the spent fuel will be transported to Sellafield for reprocessing through the Cooling Pond. Reprocessing will remove more than 99% of the entire radioactive content.

Oldbury power plant history

The consent for the construction of Oldbury Power Station was given by the Minister for Power in 1960. Construction commenced one year later in 1961. The first electricity from Reactor One was produced in November 1967.

Reactor Two began production in April 1968. The station was officially opened in June 1969 by the then Minister of Technology, Anthony Wedgwood-Benn.

Buildings of the main power station were constructed by a consortium, The Nuclear Power Group (TNPG). Most of the remaining buildings were constructed by Sir Lindsay Parkinson & Co. (acquired by Fairclough Construction Group in 1974). TNPG also supplied the reactors. Associated Electrical Industries and C.A. Parsons and Company supplied the turbines. Alfred McAlpine, acquired by Carillion in 2008, was the main civil engineering contractor.

Oldbury nuclear power plant details and specifications

Oldbury Power Station was originally designed for 600MW of electrical output. The operating gas temperature had to be reduced soon after the start of operations due to steel corrosion problems caused by the hot CO2 coolant within the reactor.

The net output came down to 400MW, as a result. It was brought up to 416MW in 1975 after making alterations in the main steam turbines. The net output increased to 434MW by making improvements to thermodynamic efficiency in 1982. The output was increased further to 452MW after installation of new HP turbine modules.

The plant uses two CO2 cooled, graphite-moderated Magnox reactors which were originally fuelled with natural uranium. Enriched uranium was introduced in August 1998. The plant has two turbo generators.

The number of fuel channels per reactor is 3,308 and there are eight fuel elements per channel. Natural and enriched uranium are the fuels. Cooling water for the reactor is supplied from the River Severn. The plant is currently served by 480 employees.

Future nuclear power station plans

Horizon Nuclear Power, a joint venture of E.ON and RWE, plans to set up a nuclear power station adjacent to the existing power station.

"The Oldbury Nuclear Power Station project is estimated to cost £954m."

A preliminary report on the potential environmental impacts of the proposed plant was published by the company in November 2009. A planning application for the new plant is intended to be submitted by 2014.

Depending upon the market conditions and final investment decisions, the company plans to begin preliminary works in 2016 and main construction in 2019.

Magnox Electric is the licensee and is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of the power station.

Reactor Two was finally decommissioned on 30 June 2011, after 43 years of operation. It produced more than 65TWh in its lifetime.

All the spent fuel will be transported to Sellafield for reprocessing through the Cooling Pond.

The plant was originally scheduled to be decommissioned by 30 December 2008.