A History Of Nuclear Ability Inwards The Uk

The prospect of a 3rd nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point inwards Somerset came ane footstep closer to reality today as EDF Energy was granted a nuclear site licence.

This way the UK’s nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation believes the French supplier has developed the right organisation, administration structure, plans in addition to procedures needed to build in addition to operate the proposed novel nuclear ability station.

The history of nuclear ability in the United Kingdom hasn’t been an slowly task every bit the timeline volition show:


1934 Nuclear fission is initiative of all experimentally achieved past times Enrico Fermi.

1954 The The U.K. Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) was established every bit a statutory corporation to oversee the evolution of nuclear liberate energy inside the UK.

1956 The Queen opens the initiative of all 2 65MW dual role reactors at Calder Hall at Windscale (later Sellafield). The authorities says Great Britain has overstep "the first station anywhere inwards the Blue Planet to hit electricity from atomic liberate energy on a total industrial scale".

1957 The authorities promises a nuclear ability edifice programme that would achieve 5,000-6,000MW capacity past times 1965.

The world's initiative of all e'er nuclear ability accident at Windscale in westward Cumbria, happens when a fire caused inwards the reactor results inwards the release of radioactivity.

1960 Government white newspaper scales dorsum nuclear edifice plans to 3,000MW, acknowledging that coal generation is 25% cheaper.

1962 Berkeley nuclear ability station, located at the border of the River Severn, in Gloucestershire, begins producing electricity.

1964 The Government white paper, The Second Nuclear Programme, says 5,000MW of new plants volition live built betwixt 1970-76.

This is the initiative of all of advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) due to other designs beingness rejected. Minister for ability Fred Lee described this minute best when saying: "We receive got won the jackpot this fourth dimension - nosotros receive got the greatest breakthrough of all times."

Magnox reprocessing plant opens at Windscale for the dual role of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons in addition to fast-breeder reactor fuel.

1965 Proposed edifice programme for AGRs increased to 8,000MW.

1966 In February, the proclamation that the initiative of all paradigm Fast Reactor inwards the U.K. would live constructed inwards Dounreay, Scotland at a terms of £30 million. First AGR construction also begins.

1977 Last of the 7 AGR stations is finally ordered for Heysham, Lancashire, to finalise the proposed 8,000MW programme. The Central Electricity Generating Board describes them every bit "one of the major blunders of British industrial policy."

1979 Energy secretary at the time, David Howell, announces 10 novel pressurised water reactors (PWR) to live built. He also describes nuclear ability "a cheaper shape of electricity generation than whatever known to man".

1983 Planning question for the initiative of all PWR at Sizewell inwards Suffolk starts - lasting two years.

Government forced to abandon dumping of depression in addition to intermediate-level radioactive waste product in the Atlantic next force per unit of measurement area from environmental groups.

1986 The world's worst nuclear accident in addition to close horrific occurs at Chernobyl in Ukraine, which was thence role of the Soviet Union.

1987 Plans for Sizewell B approved.

1988 Construction begins on Sizewell B, the initiative of all of a menage unit of measurement of 4 PWRs that are planned but afterward abandoned.

The authorities decides to privatise electricity production in addition to a "nuclear tax" is proposed.

1989 Magnox reactors are withdrawn from electricity privatisation. The metropolis refuses to purchase the older stations because of decommissioning costs in addition to the taxpayer is left alongside the bill.

AGRs in addition to Sizewell B are withdrawn from privatisation because metropolis investors discover that the terms of generating nuclear ability is far greater than that of coal.

1990 Nuclear levy is introduced to encompass the departure betwixt the terms of generating nuclear liberate energy in addition to coal, adding 11% to electricity bills.

The terms of edifice Sizewell B increases from £1.69bn to £2.03bn.

1991 Government announces plans for a radioactive waste product repository costing betwixt £2.5bn in addition to £3.5bn that would live completed past times 2005.

1993 It is revealed that the 11% nuclear levy on electricity bills has non been put aside for dealing alongside decommissioning costs in addition to waste, but spent on building Sizewell B. Economists guess that the projected income from the levy betwixt 1990-98 volition correspond a £9.1bn subsidy for the nuclear industry.

1994 Government announces nuclear reviews, ane into whether novel nuclear stations tin lavatory live built in addition to the seond into whether the manufacture tin lavatory live privatised.

1995 Government decides to brand a 2d sweat to privatise AGRs in addition to the still-to-be-completed Sizewell B.

1996 Sell-off of the newer nuclear stations goes ahead. Despite calls for its cancellation because of delays in addition to terms overruns, Sizewell B opens.

1997 Two radioactive waste product stores are to live built at Sellafield, to convey intermediate-level waste product for the next l years. Another 10 are planned for the future.

1998 Deputy prime number government minister John Prescott signs understanding to progressively reduce concentrations of radioactive substances inwards the marine surroundings every bit a result of emissions from Sellafield.

2000 In February, the British Nuclear Fuels master copy executive, John Taylor, resigns over a scandal relating to faked security records at the Sellafield works life in Cumbria.

2002 Bradwell ability station is unopen downwards after xl years of operation.

2003 The government's 2003 liberate energy white newspaper highlights the lack of planned new nuclear plants to supervene upon decommissioned ones, but rejects the technology, saying "its electrical flow economic science overstep far an unattractive alternative for new, carbon-free generating capacity".

2004 The European commission launches legal activeness against the authorities over "unacceptable" failings inwards dealing alongside radioactive waste product at Sellafield.

2005 Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 leak of highly radioactive nuclear fuel forces the closure of Sellafield's Thorp reprocessing plant.

Tony Blair, commissions a 2d white newspaper on liberate energy policy in addition to confirms that a novel generation of nuclear ability station's is to live considered. He says nuclear ability is ane time once to a greater extent than a serious alternative because "the facts receive got changed over the finally dyad of years".

2006 The Sustainable Development Commission warns Tony Blair that at that topographic point is "no justification" for a novel nuclear programme.

The government's surroundings audit commission warns that a novel generation of nuclear ability stations would non live able to avert a serious liberate energy crisis. The government has overstep "too focused" on nuclear energy, it says.

The novel white newspaper confirms that nuclear ability is dorsum on the agenda. It says a mix of liberate energy supplies is essential in addition to that novel nuclear ability stations could brand a meaning contribution. The review says it volition live upward to the private sector to encompass the costs of investment, decommissioning in addition to storage of nuclear waste.

Major ability generators such every bit E.ON in addition to EDF welcome what they telephone telephone an "important milestone".

Later inwards that yr Greenpeace launched a courtroom activeness claiming that the government's consultation was "legally flawed".

2007 Greenpeace wins its illustration in addition to authorities launches a novel consultation, which includes plans to treble the amount of electricity from renewable sources in addition to signals a supply to the government's nuclear agenda.

A Guardian/ICM poll shows opponents of nuclear liberate energy narrowly outnumber supporters, past times 49% to 44%.

2008 The authorities announces its nuclear plans. It backs a novel generation of nuclear ability stations.

Britain in addition to French Republic denote a bargain to build a novel generation of nuclear power stations in addition to to export the applied scientific discipline unopen to the world. The bargain volition allow Great Britain to convey payoff of French expertise inwards edifice novel reactors.

Half a 1000000 people inwards the United Kingdom hitting past times ability cuts every bit 7 ability stations, including Sizewell B, unexpectedly halt working.

French liberate energy giant EDF finalises a £12.4bn bargain to purchase British Energy, which runs 8 nuclear sites alongside nation on which novel reactors could live built.

2009 Gordon Brown backs plans for a proposed nuclear ability station to live built at Sellafield, after the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority agrees to nation for building for 2 novel stations side past times side to the old site originally at Sellafield.

Magnox Electric Ltd, the operator of the Bradwell-on-Sea nuclear plant, is found guilty of allowing a radioactive leak to overstep on at the site for xiv years between 1990 in addition to 2004.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, announces a bargain alongside EDF that volition involve it inwards edifice novel nuclear ability stations inwards the UK.

A cloak-and-dagger written report past times the government's master copy nuclear inspector, Mike Weightman, shows to a greater extent than than 1,750 leaks, breakdowns or other "events" at United Kingdom nuclear plants over the past times 7 years.

The operator of Sellafield, Britain's biggest nuclear complex, is fined £75,000 next security lapses which led to the radioactive contamination of staff inwards July 2007.

The Health in addition to Safety Executive is great downwards on Sellafield's operators, Nuclear Management Partners, after a serial of radioactive leaks in addition to security blunders.

2010 Huhne reveals Great Britain is facing a £4bn dark hole inwards unavoidable nuclear decommissioning in addition to waste product costs.

The authorities cancels a proposed loan of £80m to Sheffield Forgemasters approved past times the previous government.

The Health in addition to Safety Executive says the schedule for the UK's nuclear reactor edifice programme has slipped behind, every bit the 2 proposed designs await approval.

A written report prepared for the authorities past times the British Geological Survey identifies the Lake District every bit the surface area of Cumbria close geologically suitable for nuclear waste disposal.

2011 Huhne announces plans to heighten the amount nuclear operators volition receive got to pay towards the terms of whatever accident inwards the United Kingdom to £1bn.

Sir David King, the onetime authorities master copy scientist, says the UK's nuclear industry is inwards no shape to deal alongside a large-scale reactor edifice programme in addition to must live overhauled if the coalition wants to force ahead alongside its nuclear expansion plans.

Government plans to build a novel programme of nuclear power stations in England volition live delayed past times at to the lowest degree 3 months piece a written report into what the United Kingdom tin lavatory larn from Fukushima is published.

In an interim written report next Fukushima, Mike Weightman, the nuclear master copy inspector, says the United Kingdom is non at peril of similar disaster, in addition to at that topographic point is no demand to alter plans for novel nuclear plants.

The authorities approves a controversial system to dump 250,000 tonnes a year of radioactive waste product at King's Cliffe, a traditional landfill site close Peterborough.






With such a conflicting in addition to fractious human relationship between nuclear liberate energy producers in addition to the lodge they serve, the route towards nuclear liberate energy inwards the United Kingdom has been a rocky one.
But alongside the latest word of EDF’s proposal for a third site to build a nuclear ability station, tin lavatory they e'er alter people’s attitudes towards a liberate energy that tin lavatory live catastrophic, similar the disasters at Chenobyl in addition to Fukishima, in addition to reassure them that alongside the guidance of stringent regulations and the force per unit of measurement area of security first, they tin lavatory live successful inwards producing jobs, energy in addition to a self reliance to the UK.


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