Bradwell Nuclear Power Station Decommissioning
Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, UK · Operations 1962-2002, Decommissioning ongoing (final site clearance planned 2083-2093) · Part of Magnox Ltd decommissioning budget
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchFirst nuclear power station in the UK to be placed into long-term decommissioned management (Care and Maintenance phase). - Pioneered groundbreaking decommissioning work, including the emptying and decontamination of underground waste storage vaults. - The extended timeline for final site clearance (2083-2093) highlights the generational nature of nuclear decommissioning.
Key engineering challenges
Decommissioning one of the UK's first commercial nuclear power stations. - Removing historically-stored legacy wastes and deplanting redundant nuclear facilities. - Safely dismantling reactor buildings and associated infrastructure over a very long timescale. - Managing the long-term care and maintenance phase before final site clearance.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Nuclear Restoration Services (formerly Magnox Ltd)
- Lead contractor
- Nuclear Restoration Services, John F Hunt Demolition (for specific demolition phases)
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- decommissioning
- Scale
- Two Magnox reactors, 242 MW net electrical output
- Disciplines
- nuclear; civil; structural; mechanical; electrical; waste management; remote handling
- Standards & frameworks
- ONR
Sources: Wikipedia: Bradwell nuclear power station (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradwell_nuclear_power_station) - GOV.UK: Bradwell enters care and maintenance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bfd1e53ed915d119f67b9da/Bradwell_c_m_FINAL_B_LowRes.pdf) - ONR: Bradwell (https://www.onr.org.uk/our-work/what-we-regulate/sellafield-decommissioning-fuel-and-waste/sites/bradwell) - BBC News: Bradwell power station decommissioning process reaches 'milestone' (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-46403387) - Andun: Bradwell Nuclear Power Station (https://www.andun.co.uk/case-studies/bradwell-nuclear-power-station/)