Hunterston B nuclear power station
| Hunterston B nuclear power station | |
|---|---|
 The Hunterston B AGR reactor building. |
|
| Official name | Hunterston B |
| Country | Scotland |
| Location | North Ayrshire |
| Construction began | 1968 |
| Commission date | 1976 |
| Owner(s) | EDF Energy |
| Operator(s) | EDF Energy |
| Reactor information | |
| Reactors operational | 2 x 1,500MWth (but see note)[1] |
| Reactor type(s) | AGR |
| Reactor supplier(s) | TNPG |
| Power station information | |
| Primary fuel | Nuclear |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 1,320MWe (but see note)[1] |
| grid reference NS183514 | |
Hunterston B Power Station is a nuclear power station in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located about 9 km south of Largs and about 4 km north-west of West Kilbride. It is operated by EDF Energy. It currently generates up to 1000 MW and is due to operate until 2016.
Contents |
[edit] History
The construction of Hunterston B was undertaken by a consortium known as The Nuclear Power Group ('TNPG').[2] The two advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) were supplied by TNPG and the turbines by C. A. Parsons & Co.[3] Hunterston B started generating electricity on 6 February 1976.
Its net electrical output was 1,215 MW. In 2007 the reactors were restricted to operating at a reduced level of around 70% of full output (around 850 MWe net). Subsequent work during maintenance shutdowns have resulted in Reactor 3 operating at around 75% (460Mwe net) in early 2011, and Reactor 4 at around 71% (430 MWe net). In total this equates to around 980MWe gross (output from the generators based on 90MW internal load) and is capable of supplying the electricity needs of over 1 million homes.[1]
On 3 December 1977 The Times reported[4] that seawater had entered the reactor through a modification of the secondary cooling system. The secondary cooling system uses fresh water to cool various items including the bearings of the gas circulators, which circulate the carbon dioxide (CO2) coolant through the reactor to the boilers. A small leak of CO2 through a seal had developed, and a bypass pipe was installed to remove the water contaminated with CO2 to the seawater cooling ponds. When maintenance work was carried out on the reactor and the pressure in the gas cooling system was reduced, sea water was able to flow back up this bypass pipe and into the reactor. The residual heat of the reactor was such that the seawater evaporated rapidly, leaving deposits of salt in the reactor around the gas circuit. It was estimated at the time that the reactor could be out of operation for a year, that the repairs could cost £14 million, and that electricity tariffs would have to rise by between 1 and 2 per cent. Extensive modelling work was performed in the Nuclear Power Company's (NPC) Whetstone, Leicestershire, fluid flow laboratories to determine where the salt would have been deposited, and the salt was successfully removed by technicians using vacuum cleaners and the plant returned to operation.
It is currently scheduled to be decommissioned in 2016.[5]
The graphite moderator core in each of the twin AGRs at Hunterston B has recently developed structural problems in the form of cracking of the bricks.[6]
[edit] See also
- Hunterston A nuclear power station nearby, shutdown 1990, now being decommissioned.
- Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
- Energy policy of the United Kingdom
- Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Hunterston B, British Energy
- ^ Wearne S H & Bird R H (2009). "UK Experience of Consortia Engineering for Nuclear Power Stations, School of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering, Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester.". http://www.dalton.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/reports/papers/uk_consortia1b.pdf.
- ^ Nuclear Power Plants in the UK - Scotland and Wales
- ^ The Times, Saturday, Dec 03, 1977; pg. 1; Issue 60177; col D
- ^ Scotland's Hunterston B to work until 2016, UPI, 11 December 2007
- ^ Large and Associates. Brief Review of the Documents Relating to the Graphite Moderator Cores at Hinkley Point B and Other Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors, R3154 5 July 2006
[edit] External links
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