Sizewell nuclear power stations
| Sizewell A nuclear power station | |
|---|---|
Sizewell A
|
|
| Country | England |
| Location | Suffolk, East of England |
| Coordinates | 52°12′54″N 1°37′11″E / 52.215°N 1.61972°E |
| Commission date | 1966 |
| Decommission date | 2006 |
| Operator(s) | Magnox South |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | GCR |
| Cooling source | North Sea |
| Cooling towers | no |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 490 MWe (gross) 420 MWe (net) |
| grid reference TM473633 | |
| Sizewell B nuclear power station | |
|---|---|
Sizewell B
|
|
| Country | England |
| Location | Suffolk, East of England |
| Coordinates | 52°12′54″N 1°37′11″E / 52.215°N 1.61972°E |
| Commission date | 1995 |
| Operator(s) | EDF Energy, |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) |
| Reactor supplier | Westinghouse |
| Cooling source | North Sea |
| Cooling towers | no |
| Power generation | |
| Make and model | GEC Alsthom |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,250 MWe (gross) 1,195 MWe (net) |
| grid reference TM473633 | |
The Sizewell nuclear power stations 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. A third power station is planned.
The site of Sizewell A occupies 245 acres (99 hectares) north of Sizewell. It is on a low plateau above flood level. The geological foundation comprises Norwich Crag Formation and Red Crag Formation bedrock of age above Eocene London Clay. The Crag deposits predominantly consist of medium dense and dense sands with thin layers of clay and silt and fossiliferous shelly horizons. The Crag strata extend to a depth of 200 feet (60 metres) below ground level.
The site is reached by road, with the nearest railhead about one mile inland at Sizewell Halt. Sidings were installed at the railhead primarily to transport irradiated elements to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority plant at Sellafield, Cumbria.
The Midlands Project Group of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) planned and managed the project. The main contract was placed in November 1960 and construction work on Sizewell A began on 1 April 1961. The main construction contract was awarded to British Nuclear Design and Construction Ltd ('BNDC'), a consortium backed by English Electric, Babcock & Wilcox Ltd and Taylor Woodrow Construction, The initial budget was £56 million, but due to inflation this figure rose to £65 million. During its 40-year operational lifetime, it had produced 110 TWh (400 PJ) of electricity, which would have been sufficient to meet the domestic needs of England and Wales for 6 months. Unit 1 was commissioned on 21 March 1966, and Unit 2 on 15 September. The station was officially opened on 7 April 1967 by Commander The Earl of Stradbroke, RN, the queen's Lieutenant of Suffolk.
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