The History of Nuclear Energy - The Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station

Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station

Previously, The Nuclear Edition posted an article on the world's first nuclear power plant, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Station. In this latest article on The History of Nuclear Energy, we will be writing about the first nuclear power plant to be used commercially, the Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station. 

At the behest of Prime Minister Winston Curchill in 1952, designing work for Calder Hall Power Station was started by Christopher Hinton. The Industrial Group of the Atomic Energy Authority established the design team for this particular project. In a relatively short construction and commissioning time, nuclear power was transmitted to the UK's National Grid in August 1956, after work started only 3 years prior.

At its peak of operation, the Calder Hall Power Station generated 196 MW of electricity, as much as four times its power generation when it was first opened. The equipments used in the Calder Hall Power Station included eight 3000 rpm turbines and four hyperbolic concrete cooling towers measuring 90 meters high.

Initially Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station's primary objective was to produce weapons-grade plutonium and not electricity generation. The UK government announced in April 1995 that all production of plutonium for weapons had ceased.

Storage pond for spent nuclear fuel

Having run for 47 years, the Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station was decommissioned in March 2003, by which time it was the oldest Magnox station in the world.

According to the British Nuclear Group, Calder Hall generated enough power to run a three-bar radiator for 2.85 million years in its 47 years of operation!

Sources: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.engineering-timelines.com