Summary
Springfields is a nuclear fuel production installation in Salwick, near Preston in Lancashire, England (grid reference SD468315). The site is currently operated by Springfields Fuels Limited, under the management of Westinghouse Electric UK Limited, on a 150-year lease from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.[2] Since its conversion from a munitions factory in 1946, it has previously been operated and managed by a number of different organisations including the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels.[3] Fuel products are produced for the UK's nuclear power stations and for international customers.[4]
| Springfields | |
|---|---|
 View from Deepdale Lane | |
  Location of Springfields | |
 | |
| Built | 1940 (as munitions factory); 1946 (as nuclear fuels facility) |
| Location | Salwick, Lancashire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°46′39″N 2°48′29″W / 53.77750°N 2.80806°W |
| Industry | Nuclear fuel |
| Products | oxide fuels; uranium hexafluoride |
| Employees | 1,700 (in 2002)[1] |
| Address | Springfields Fuels Limited, Westinghouse, Springfields, Salwick, Preston PR4 0XJ |
Activities on the site edit
The site has been making nuclear fuels since the mid-1940s. The site is notable for being the first nuclear plant in the world to produce Magnox fuel for a commercial power station (Calder Hall).[3][4]
The four main activities carried out on the site are:[5][4]
- Production of oxide fuels for advanced gas-cooled and light water reactors, as well as intermediate fuel products (uranium dioxide powders, granules, and pellets)
- Production of uranium hexafluoride, or "hex"
- Processing of fuel-cycle residues
- Decommissioning and demolition of redundant plants and buildings[3]
At its peak the site employed 4000 people, but reduced demand and increased automation saw this fall to about 800 by 2020.[4]
In December 2022 Westinghouse received a £13 million grant from the UK government to explore the development of Uranium Conversion Services at the site.[6]
Protests edit
Protests have been held at the site against the production of nuclear waste. In the 1980s there were also protests against apartheid, due to the use of uranium imported from Namibia.
Future of the plant edit
Manufacturing is scheduled to continue until 2023. Decommissioning activities have so far resulted in 87 buildings on the site having been fully demolished.[7] A Clean Energy Technology Park (CETP) has been set up to encourage new companies to operate on the site.[4]
References edit
- ^ "The Manufacturer". BNFL UK Fuel Business, Heart of the furnace. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Chapman, Ben (30 March 2017). "Westinghouse bankruptcy: Is the future of nuclear power in the UK in doubt?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ a b c "Westinghouse". Westinghouse website on nuclear sites. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Springfields: what next?". Nuclear Engineering International. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Nuclear Fuel Manufacture at Springfields" (PDF brochure). Wesinghouse. 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ^ "Westinghouse Receives UK Government Grant to Explore Uranium Conversion Services".
- ^ "Nuclear Decommissioning Agency". Decommissioning at Springfields site. Retrieved 16 December 2011.