Closing ceremony for 'oldest' nuclear plant

An official ceremony was being held today to mark the closure of one of Britain’s oldest nuclear power stations.

Bradwell power station on the Essex coast will stop generating electricity this weekend, said its operator British Nuclear Fuels.

The plant, near Burnham on Crouch, was opened in 1962.

Past managers of the station were attending the shutting of the plant ready for decommissioning.

It was officially being closed by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lord Braybrooke.

One of the station’s two reactors will close on Saturday, and the other on Sunday, the last working day of Bradwell’s licence to operate.

Environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth and residents were due to hold a demonstration outside the station at the same time as the ceremony.

The organisation said it welcomed the closure.

It is calling on the Government to rule out the building of another nuclear power station on the site, and instead encourage renewable energy, such as wind power.

Bryony Worthington, Friends of the Earth energy campaigner, said: ‘‘Nuclear power is uneconomic, unsafe and unpopular and leaves a legacy of toxic waste that will last for tens of thousands of years.

‘‘No one knows how much it will cost to clean up Bradwell or where the waste will go.

‘‘Wind power is clean and safe and is a logical successor to the Bradwell dinosaur.

‘‘It would be madness to build any more nuclear power stations.’’

Bradwell generated enough electricity to support three towns, and is one of 19 BNFL sites in the UK.