Sizewell-A: Tests on part of the safety barrier around one of the two reactors at Sizewell-A (Suffolk, England) suggest the concrete has weakened. They are designed to protect the public against a release of radiation in the event of a major accident.
The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has asked the state-owned company to explain the discrepancy in results as engineers give the reactors their two yearly safety checks. Nuclear Electric, which runs the plant, has acknowledged that "inconsistent" data had been obtained in tests. Further tests have been arranged to be carried out. But workers at Sizewell-A are concerned that officials are not prepared to accept the accuracy of the bad results. Their concern is very understandable since Nuclear Electric is currently preparing its so-called 'safety case' to run Sizewell-A for another ten years.
Sizewell-B: Britain's first pressurised water reactor (PWR) station, Sizewell-B, is included in a privatisation package which also includes seven advanced gas-cooled reactors. But Sizewell-B could be excluded from this year's sell-off of part of the nuclear industry. If some members of the Commons Trade and Industry Committee get their way, the sale of Sizewell-B could be shelved for twelve months or more. These members believe the asset value of Sizewell-B operating at full power for only seven months will increase after investors are able to assess its performance over a longer period.
Sizewell-C: British Nuclear Fuels (BNF) would like the option of building Sizewell-C and Hinkley point-C in Somerset if the privatised Nuclear Electric is not to go ahead with the projects. This means that the £3.5 billion Sizewell-C power station - shelved by Nuclear Electric in December (see WISE NC 445.4408] - may be revived by another arm of the nuclear industry. The local Consortium to Oppose Sizewell-C (COSC) has already sounded a warning.
Notwithstanding all these plans, a report shows that Sizewell-A, Bradwell, Hinkley Point-A and Oldbury should also be closed due to the fact that the costs of dealing with their ongoing wastes and decommissioning are greater than the returns from the sales of the electricity they produce. This has been shown by the Consortium of Opposing Local Authorities (COLA) in their Special Briefing paper Number 19. Together with Friends of the Earth, they have called upon the Trade & Industry Select Committee (TISC) to closely study Magnox avoidable costs, including an examination of the terms of the recent reprocessing contract and individual station operating data. If this is done openly and fairly, then there is no doubt that all four stations should be closed forthwith.
Source: Shut Down Sizewell, Campaign News 88, February 1996
Contact: Shut Down Sizewell, Tudor House, St. James Street, Dunwich, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 3DU, U.K.
Tel & Fax; +44-1728- 64 300
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