Magnox Ltd
Encyclopedia
Magnox Ltd is a nuclear decommissioning Site Licence Company (SLC) controlled by Reactor Sites Management Company, its designated Parent Body Organisation (PBO). It operates under contract for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
, a government body set up specifically to deal with the nuclear legacy under the Energy Act 2004
.
Magnox Ltd is responsible for the operation and decommissioning of ten Magnox
nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom
. The ten sites are Berkeley
, Bradwell, Chapelcross
, Dungeness A, Hinkley Point A
, Hunterston A
, Oldbury
, Sizewell A
, Trawsfynydd
and Wylfa. All the sites have ceased production with the exception of Oldbury and Wylfa, which are both due to stop generating in 2012.
In addition, as part of the Wylfa unit, Magnox Ltd operates a hydro-electric power station at Maentwrog
.
The only Magnox power station in the UK not managed by Magnox Ltd is Calder Hall
, which is part of the Sellafield
site and is controlled by another SLC, Sellafield Ltd.
and Scottish Nuclear
. The remaining nuclear power stations of these two companies, seven advanced gas-cooled reactor
(AGR) sites and one pressurized water reactor
(PWR) site, were transferred to a separate company, British Energy
, which was then privatised in 1996. In January 1998 Magnox Electric came under the control of another government-owned company, British Nuclear Fuels
, operating as BNFL Magnox Generation.
Following the reorganisation of the UK nuclear industry in 2005 ownership of BNFL's Magnox sites transferred to the newly created Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
(NDA). BNFL
created a new subsidiary, Reactor Sites Management Company (RSMC), to manage Magnox Electric on behalf of the NDA. In June 2007, BNFL sold RSMC to the newly-formed US company EnergySolutions.
On 1 October 2008, Magnox Electric was split into two companies based on the locations of the sites. Magnox North became the operator of Chapelcross, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Trawsfynydd and Wylfa. Magnox South became and operator of Berkeley, Bradwell, Dungeness, Hinkley Point A and Sizewell A. Both companies continuted to be managed by RSMC.
In January 2011 to reduce costs and to help extend best practices across all sites, it was decided to reverse the split with Magnox North and Magnox South recombining as Magnox Ltd.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom formed by the Energy Act 2004. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005...
, a government body set up specifically to deal with the nuclear legacy under the Energy Act 2004
Energy Act 2004
The Energy Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Section 198 - Short title, commencement and extent:The following orders have been made under this section:* *...
.
Magnox Ltd is responsible for the operation and decommissioning of ten Magnox
Magnox
Magnox is a now obsolete type of nuclear power reactor which was designed and is still in use in the United Kingdom, and was exported to other countries, both as a power plant, and, when operated accordingly, as a producer of plutonium for nuclear weapons...
nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The ten sites are Berkeley
Berkeley nuclear power station
Berkeley nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station situated on the bank of the River Severn in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The construction of the power station, which was undertaken by a consortium of AEI and John Thompson began in 1956....
, Bradwell, Chapelcross
Chapelcross nuclear power station
Chapelcross was a Magnox nuclear power plant located near the town of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. It was the sister plant to Calder Hall in Cumbria, England, both commissioned and originally operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.The primary purpose of...
, Dungeness A, Hinkley Point A
Hinkley Point A nuclear power station
Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station located on a site in Somerset on the Bristol Channel coast, west of the River Parrett estuary.-History:...
, Hunterston A
Hunterston A nuclear power station
Hunterston A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station located at Hunterston in Ayrshire, Scotland, adjacent to Hunterston B and is currently being decommissioned.-History:...
, Oldbury
Oldbury nuclear power station
Oldbury nuclear power station is a nuclear power station located on the south bank of the River Severn close to the village of Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. It is operated by Magnox North Limited, on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority...
, Sizewell A
Sizewell nuclear power stations
Sizewell nuclear power stations are two nuclear power stations located near the small fishing village of Sizewell in Suffolk, England. Sizewell A, with two magnox reactors, is now in the process of being decommissioned, while Sizewell B has a single pressurised water reactor and is the UK's newest...
, Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd nuclear power station
Trawsfyndd nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station situated at Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, Wales.-History:Construction of the power station, which was undertaken by a consortium involving Crompton Parkinson, International Combustion, Fairey Engineering and Richardsons Westgarth, and...
and Wylfa. All the sites have ceased production with the exception of Oldbury and Wylfa, which are both due to stop generating in 2012.
In addition, as part of the Wylfa unit, Magnox Ltd operates a hydro-electric power station at Maentwrog
Maentwrog
Maentwrog is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Dwyryd runs alongside the village...
.
The only Magnox power station in the UK not managed by Magnox Ltd is Calder Hall
Calder Hall
Calder Hall can refer to -* Calder Hall Magnox nuclear power station at Sellafield* Calder Hall...
, which is part of the Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
site and is controlled by another SLC, Sellafield Ltd.
History
Magnox Ltd is the successor company to Magnox Electric, which was created in 1996 to take ownership of the Magnox assets from Nuclear ElectricNuclear Electric
Nuclear Electric was formed as a result of the privatisation of the UK Electricity Supply Industry.When the Central Electricity Generating Board was split up, its power stations were divided between PowerGen and National Power. The nuclear stations, Magnox, AGR and the then under construction...
and Scottish Nuclear
Scottish Nuclear
Scottish Nuclear was formed as a precursor to the privatization of the Electricity Supply Industry in Scotland on 1 April 1990. It consisted of the nuclear assets of the South of Scotland Electricity Board...
. The remaining nuclear power stations of these two companies, seven advanced gas-cooled reactor
Advanced gas-cooled reactor
An advanced gas-cooled reactor is a type of nuclear reactor. These are the second generation of British gas-cooled reactors, using graphite as the neutron moderator and carbon dioxide as coolant...
(AGR) sites and one pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
(PWR) site, were transferred to a separate company, British Energy
British Energy
British Energy was the UK's largest electricity generation company by volume, before being taken over by Électricité de France in 2009. British Energy operated eight former UK state-owned nuclear power stations and one coal fired power station....
, which was then privatised in 1996. In January 1998 Magnox Electric came under the control of another government-owned company, British Nuclear Fuels
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
, operating as BNFL Magnox Generation.
Following the reorganisation of the UK nuclear industry in 2005 ownership of BNFL's Magnox sites transferred to the newly created Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom formed by the Energy Act 2004. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005...
(NDA). BNFL
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
created a new subsidiary, Reactor Sites Management Company (RSMC), to manage Magnox Electric on behalf of the NDA. In June 2007, BNFL sold RSMC to the newly-formed US company EnergySolutions.
On 1 October 2008, Magnox Electric was split into two companies based on the locations of the sites. Magnox North became the operator of Chapelcross, Hunterston A, Oldbury, Trawsfynydd and Wylfa. Magnox South became and operator of Berkeley, Bradwell, Dungeness, Hinkley Point A and Sizewell A. Both companies continuted to be managed by RSMC.
In January 2011 to reduce costs and to help extend best practices across all sites, it was decided to reverse the split with Magnox North and Magnox South recombining as Magnox Ltd.
See also
- MagnoxMagnoxMagnox is a now obsolete type of nuclear power reactor which was designed and is still in use in the United Kingdom, and was exported to other countries, both as a power plant, and, when operated accordingly, as a producer of plutonium for nuclear weapons...
- Nuclear Decommissioning AuthorityNuclear Decommissioning AuthorityThe Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom formed by the Energy Act 2004. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005...
- Nuclear power in the United KingdomNuclear power in the United KingdomNuclear power currently generates around a sixth of the United Kingdom's electricity. As of 2011, the United Kingdom operates 19 nuclear reactors at nine locations...