Coordinates: 54°38′06″N 1°10′51″W / 54.635034°N 1.18084°W
| Hartlepool nuclear power station | |
|
|
|
.png)  Hartlepool nuclear power station shown within County Durham |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Operator: | British Energy |
| Fuel: | Nuclear 1,320MW |
| Commissioned: | 1983 |
Hartlepool Power Station is a nuclear power station situated on the northern bank of the mouth of the River Tees, 2.5 mi (4.0 km) south of Hartlepool in County Durham, North East England.
Contents |
History
The construction of the power station began in 1969 and generation of power at the site began in 1983. The reactors were supplied by National Nuclear Corporation and the turbines by GEC.[1]
The plant is expected to be decommissioned some time between 2009 and 2014.[2] The plant's operator, British Energy, has suggested that the site would be a good location for a replacement nuclear power station[3], though this is opposed by environmental groups such as Greenpeace. Many local people are also opposed to the move as the power station lies 1.65 mi (2.66 km) from the local resort of Seaton Carew.
Operations
The station is of the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) type. It provides electricity for over 3% of the UK[4] using two 1575 MWth advanced gas reactors to heat two 660 MWe generators, giving a total generating capacity of 1,320 MW.
The power station has been given permission by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) for an extension of five years, so that it can continue to generate until 2014. This could be extended as far a 2020 if owners British Energy can obtain suitable investment.[5]
Visitors Centre
In the 1990's there was an interactive visitors centre on site. There was also an activity centre for school visits which hosted a number of special events. Tours of the power station itself also took place. The centre has since closed.
New nuclear plant proposal
The station's site is one of fourteen sites across the UK proposed for the building of a new generation of nuclear power stations. Of the possible sites, Hartlepool is the sixth most likely to get the go ahead, as existing nuclear power station sites are the most suitable for the development of new nuclear stations. If built, the station would cost between £1 billion and £2 billion to construct, would employ up to 3,000 construction workers for the possible six year construction period, as well as providing 600 full time jobs once completed. The new station has an anticipated operating life of 60 years.[5]
See also
- Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
- Energy policy of the United Kingdom
- Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ Nuclear Power Plants in the UK
- ^ "Building Power Station". Andrew Payne. This is Hartlepool. http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/buildingthepowerstation/. Retrieved on 2008-08-08.
- ^ "Eight new nuclear power stations planned for England". Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/13/eanuclear113.xml. Retrieved on 2008-08-08.
- ^ BBC Look North 10 January 2008
- ^ a b Jelly, Jim (6 July 2007). "Renewed n-plant would bring jobs". http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/. Evening Gazette. http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/article.aspx?id=2015992. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
External links
- A selection of over a 100 images showing the building of the power station submitted by a local who worked at the site during its construction
- British Energy Says Two U.K. Nuclear Power Plants Remain Closed
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This article about a County Durham building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article about a power station is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
