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GREEN ANGER AT DINOSAUR NUKE NOT CLOSING AS PLANNED |
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 18th December 2008
Greens are angered and incredulous at news that Oldbury nuclear power
station will be permitted to operate past its planned December 30th
closure date. The two 'Magnox' reactors at Oldbury have been struggling
along for the past six years with one or other of them closed down for
safety reasons.
Cllr Philip Booth, a Stroud District Green party spokesperson, said: "This is an extraordinary move that makes no sense. Oldbury is the oldest UK reactor - a dinosaur nuke where age-related corrosion of the reactor core has meant that safety regulators have closed the reactors for long periods for inspections. One test by Manchester University showed the strength of the graphite bricks which constitute the reactor core would be just twelve percent of its original strength at 35 percent weight loss. We are also told that Reactor 1 reached the safety limit of 34.5 percent weight loss two years ago, while reactor 2 was expected to reach the threshold this year (i)."
Philip Booth added: "The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, who run Oldbury for the Government, are known to be short of money to decommssion Sellafield and old Magnox reactors at an estimated cost of £83.20billion. I am concerned that political influence may have been used to keep the 'nuclear flag flying' while plans to build new reactors at sites like Oldbury are developed. If so that would be wholly unacceptable."
Note:
(i) Even running on one reactor the plant has been close to 'snuffing out' due to the graphite weight loss, which is like an old car running with worn cylinders. So enriched nuclear fuel has needed to be used, to 'pep it up'. A plan to use a new experimental 'Magrox' nuclear fuel at Oldbury in 2001 was abandoned after our campaign against it on safety reasons.
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