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Torness nuclear power station

Coordinates: 55°58′05″N 2°24′33″W / 55.9680°N 2.4091°W / 55.9680; -2.4091
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Torness Nuclear Power Station
Map
CountryUnited Kingdom
LocationDunbar, East Lothian
Coordinates55°58′05″N 2°24′33″W / 55.9680°N 2.4091°W / 55.9680; -2.4091
StatusOperational
Construction began
  • Unit 1: August 1, 1980 (1980-08-01)[1]
  • Unit 2: August 1, 1980 (1980-08-01)[2]
Commission date
  • Unit 1: May 25, 1988 (1988-05-25)[1]
  • Unit 2: February 3, 1989 (1989-02-03)[2]
Decommission dateExpected to begin March 2030[3]
OwnerEDF Energy[1][2]
OperatorEDF Energy
Employees730
Nuclear power station
Reactors2
Reactor typeAGR[1][2]
Cooling sourceNorth Sea
Thermal capacity2 × 1623 MWt[1][2]
Power generation
Units operational
Nameplate capacity1,290 MWe[1][2]
Capacity factor
  • Lifetime:
  • Unit 1: 74.8%[1]
  • Unit 2: 74.6%[2]
Annual net output
  • 6,679.35 GWh (24,045.7 TJ) (2021)[1][2]
External links
WebsiteTorness power station and visitor centre | EDF
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

Torness nuclear power station is a nuclear power station located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Edinburgh at Torness Point near Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. It was the last of the United Kingdom's Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors to be fully commissioned. Construction of this facility began in 1980 for the then South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) and it was commissioned in 1988. It is a local landmark, highly visible from the A1 trunk road and East Coast Main Line railway.

The power station is expected to be shut down in March 2030, prior to defuelling and then decommissioning.

History

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After extensive discussions with the local planning authority and more than twenty other interested organisations, the South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) sought approval of the Secretary of State for Scotland in 1973 for Torness as a site for a nuclear power station. A public exhibition was held at Dunbar in February 1974 to explain the Board's proposals, and in June 1974, a public inquiry was held.[4]

Protest against the construction of Torness

There was widespread public opposition to the building of a nuclear plant at Torness. Diverse campaigning groups came together to highlight the environmental and human cost of nuclear power stations. In May 1978, 4,000 people marched from Dunbar to occupy the Torness site. Many of them signed a declaration to “take all nonviolent steps necessary to prevent the construction of a nuclear power station at Torness”.[5]

The SSEB submitted designs for four types of reactor then being considered by HM Government for the next stage of the UK civil nuclear programme: the advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR), the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR), the Light Water Reactor (LWR) and the High Temperature Reactor (HTR). In February 1975, the Secretary of State for Scotland granted the SSEB statutory consent for the location of future nuclear power stations and, after review of the four alternative reactor types, consent was given on 24 May 1978 for construction of the AGR station.

The construction, which was undertaken by a consortium known as National Nuclear Corporation ('NNC'),[6] began in 1980. The reactors were supplied by NNC, the boilers by NEI and the turbines by GEC.[7]

The station consists of two advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) capable of producing a peak rating of 1,364 MWe. In February, 1989, Torness Unit 2 became the last Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor commissioned. On deregulation of the United Kingdom's electricity generation market the following year, Torness passed to the state-owned Scottish Nuclear, privatised as part of British Energy which was sold to the French company Électricité de France (EDF) in January 2009, and incorporated in the latter's UK subsidiary EDF Energy. It was expected to operate until 2030.[8] Cracking is now expected to cause the closure of the plant in March 2028.[9][10]

In December 2024, in response to concerns over energy security following delays to the opening of Hinkley Point C, EDF announced that the life of Torness would be extended two years until March 2030.[3]

Plant design

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Reactor building

Torness shares its design with Heysham 2 nuclear power station. The station was designed by NNC, a company created from the gradual amalgamation of five consortia that were formed in the 1950s and 1960s to build the UK's commercial nuclear power stations. NNC is now part of Jacobs Engineering Group.[11]

The graphite-moderated, gas-cooled design was proven at the WAGR – the Windscale experimental AGR facility – and is a significant evolution of the Magnox reactor designs.

When first operated Torness probably had the most sophisticated and complex computerised control system for a nuclear power station worldwide, and far more sophisticated than earlier members of the advanced gas-cooled reactor fleet. Over 70 Ferranti Argus 700 computers are used in the control and instrumentation systems, which included Digital Direct Control (DDC) of the reactors.[12][13]

In 2020, the staff training simulator was replaced, partly to reflect plant upgrades and to simulate interactions between the two reactor systems and with auxiliary systems, and to provide modern simulation capabilities. The original reactor control system was unchanged.[14]

Nuclear fuel for Torness power station can be delivered and removed via a loading/unloading facility on a branch from the adjacent East Coast Main Line.[15]

Incidents

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The station viewed from the east

In November 1999, a Panavia Tornado F.3 of the Royal Air Force crashed into the North Sea less than 1 km from the power station following an engine failure. The UK Ministry of Defence commended the two crew members for demonstrating "exceptional levels of airmanship and awareness in the most adverse of conditions", because they ensured that the Tornado was clear of the power station before abandoning the aircraft.[16]

In May 2002, a gas circulator pump failed. Forensic evidence suggested an undetected fatigue crack in part of the impeller led to failure. In August, another gas circulator on the other reactor showed increasing vibration and was shut down by the operators. When it was taken apart, there was a fully developed fatigue related crack in a similar position to the first failure, but the prompt shutdown had prevented further damage.[17]

In August 2005, screens in the seawater cooling intake system were blocked by seaweed. This possibility had been foreseen for the plant and preprepared plans were activated, leading to both reactors being shut down.[18]

In June 2011, both reactors were manually shut down due to reduced flow of seawater after intakes were clogged by a large mass of jellyfish.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "TORNESS-1". Public Reactor Information System. IAEA. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "TORNESS-2". Public Reactor Information System. IAEA. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ambrose, Jillian (4 December 2024). "Four of UK's oldest nuclear plants to run for even longer as Hinkley Point delayed". Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Scottish Government files Page 125" (PDF). Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Corporatewatch Report 2007". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  6. ^ "UK Experience of Consortia Engineering for Nuclear Power Stations: Critical Again - Lessons for New UK Nuclear Power Projects" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Nuclear Power Plants in the UK - Scotland and Wales". Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Edinburgh Evening News - Torness". Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Cracks cause Torness nuclear plant to close early". 15 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Heysham 2 and Torness end dates brought forward by EDF". World Nuclear News. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  11. ^ Jacobs snaps up Wood's nuclear business for £250m (Report). Building - Assemble Media Group. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. ^ Computerization of Operation and Maintenance for Nuclear Power Plants (PDF) (Report). IAEA. July 1995. pp. 159–168. ISSN 1011-4289. IAEA-TECDOC-808. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  13. ^ W.J.Hill, N.M.Mitson (8 May 1990). Building of the Auto Control Software for Torness NPS (PDF) (Report). The Institution of Nuclear Engineers. p. 25. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  14. ^ "Upgrading the simulator at Torness nuclear power plant". Nuclear Engineering International. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  15. ^ Brailsford, Martyn (2017). Railway Track Diagrams Book 1: Scotland & Isle of Man. Frome: Trackmaps. pp. 11C. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  16. ^ Pilots praised over Tornado crash BBC News 11 March 2002
  17. ^ Statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations 1 July 2002 - 30 September 2002 Health & Safety Executive 2002
  18. ^ Nuclear Safety Newsletter Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine HSE, December 2006
  19. ^ "Jellyfish force Torness nuclear reactor shutdown". BBC News. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
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