- Hinkley Point
Hinkley Point is a headland on the
Bristol Channel coast ofSomerset ,England , five miles north ofBridgwater and five miles west ofBurnham-on-Sea , close to the mouth of theRiver Parrett .The landscape of Hinkley Point is dominated by two nuclear power stations:
* Hinkley Point A -
Magnox (now closed)
* Hinkley Point B - AGRA third, twin-unit
European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) reactor is planned, and will become Hinkley Point C cite web | url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_New_dawn_for_UK_nuclear_power_2409081.html | title=New dawn for UK nculear power | publisher=WNN | date=2008-09-24 | accessdate=2008-09-25 ] .Electricité de France (EDF), who now own the site, are hoping to begin planning for the site in earnest . Hinkley Point C, in conjuction with Sizewell C, could contribute 13% of UK electricity in the early 2020s . EdF plans to use Areva NP's EPR design for any new build reactors in the UK: the design is being used for reactors currently being built in Finland andFrance .The exposed location of Hinkley Point meant that it was considered ideal for wind generation. However a proposal to build 12 wind turbines close to the site of the nuclear power stations was turned down in October 2005 [cite web | title=Wind turbine farm plans rejected | work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4379346.stm | accessdate=2007-02-19] . The reason given by the local council for the rejection was safety fears over what would happen were a turbine blade to detach and hit the nuclear plant.Hinkley Point adjoins the
Bridgwater Bay SSSI [cite web | title=Bridgwater Bay SSSI | work=Natural England
url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1001145 | accessdate=2007-02-19] and nature reserve [cite web | title=Bridgwater Bay Natural Area | work=Natural England
url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/science/natural/NA_Details.asp?NA_Id=115 | accessdate=2007-02-19] , and is a popular location forbirdwatching and fossil hunting [cite web | title= Hinkley Point Fossils and Fossil Collecting | work=UK Fossils Network
url=http://www.hinkley.ukfossils.co.uk/ | accessdate=2007-02-19] . A visitors centre at the nuclear power station gives access to a nature trail which features plants, birds and butterflies [cite web | title=Hinkley Point Nature Trail to reopen | work=British Energy
url=http://www.british-energy.com/article.php?article=124 | accessdate=2007-02-19] .References
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