Chapelcross nuclear power station

Chapelcross nuclear power station
Chapelcross nuclear power station, prior to demolition of the cooling towers
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	55°00′56″N 3°13′34″W / 55.01566°N 3.22605°W / 55.01566; -3.22605Coordinates: 55°00′56″N 3°13′34″W / 55.01566°N 3.22605°W / 55.01566; -3.22605
Construction began	1955
Commission date	1959
Decommission date	2004
Owner(s)	Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Operator(s)	Magnox Ltd United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Nuclear
grid reference NY2161169707

Chapelcross was a Magnox nuclear power plant located near Annan in Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. It was the sister plant to the Calder Hall plant in Cumbria, England - both were commissioned and originally operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

The primary purpose of both plants was to produce weapons-grade plutonium for the UK's nuclear weapons programme, but they also generated electrical power for the National Grid.

Chapelcross occupies a 92 hectare site on the location of former World War II training airfield, RAF Annan, located 3 km north east of the town of Annan in the Annandale and Eskdale district within the Dumfries and Galloway region of south west Scotland. The nearest hamlet is Creca.

Chapelcross was the sister plant to Calder Hall in Cumbria, England. Construction was carried out by Mitchell Construction and was completed in 1959. The primary purpose was to produce plutonium for the UK's nuclear weapons programme (see WE.177). Electricity was always considered to be a by-product.

The Chapelcross Works was officially opened on 2 May 1959 by the Lord Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire, Sir John Crabbe. It was initially owned and operated by the Production Group of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) until the creation of British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) in 1971 by an act of Parliament. The site then operated in conjunction with Calder Hall under the banner of BNFL’s Electricity Generation Business (EGB) until rebranding, relicensing and restructuring of the various nuclear businesses operated by HM Government under the umbrella legal entity of BNFL took place in April 2005.