Chapelcross nuclear power station
Chapelcross nuclear power station is a former Magnox nuclear power station undergoing decommissioning. It is located in Annan in Dumfries and Galloway in southwest Scotland, and was in operation from 1959 to 2004. It was the sister plant to the Calder Hall nuclear power station 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. Later in the reactors' lifecycle, as the UK slowed the development of the nuclear deterrent as the cold war came to a close, power production became the primary goal of reactor operation.
| Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station | |
|---|---|
Chapelcross nuclear power station, prior to demolition of the cooling towers | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55.0157°N 3.2261°W |
| Status | Decommissioning in progress |
| Construction began | 1955 |
| Commission date | 1959 |
| Decommission date | 2004 |
| Owner(s) | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority |
| Operator(s) | Magnox Ltd |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Unenriched Uranium |
| Cooling towers | 4 (demolished 2007) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 4 x 60 MWe (1959–2004) |
| Make and model | C.A. Parsons & Company UKAEA |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
grid reference NY217697 | |
The site is being decommissioned by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority subsidiary Magnox Ltd. The station's four cooling towers were demolished in 2007. The reactors are spent-fuel free and are currently undergoing dismantlement of primary loop equipment such as heat exchangers and hot gas ducts. Once complete, the reactors will enter a care and maintenance stage to allow radiation levels to decline before the reactors themselves are demolished.