Sizewell

Sizewell is a small fishing village with a few holiday homes in the county of Suffolk, England. It is located on the East Anglian coast just north of the larger holiday villages of Thorpeness and Aldeburgh, and two miles from the town of Leiston. It is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.

The village was part of the Ogilvie estate, which extended as far south as Aldeburgh. Sizewell Hall, now used as a Christian conference centre, is still owned by the Ogilvie family.

Nuclear power stations

The village itself is overshadowed by two separate nuclear power stations, the Magnox Sizewell A and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Sizewell B, which are readily visible from the nearby holiday beaches.

How Sizewell B Produces Electricity

To produce the electricity at Sizewell B they use a PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor). This is what they use in generation 11 nuclear power reactors. They use normal water (in this case from the North Sea) under high pressure, also known as superheated water. This is when a liquid is under pressure between boiling and critical temperatures. After sustained heating, the hydrogen bonds break down and so become less polar, and acts more like an organic solvent. This sub critical water acts a coolant and neutron moderator. The machine works because the nuclear fuel in the reactor vessel is occupied in a chain reaction. The nuclear chain reaction makes one or more chain reactions, so this increases the number of reactions. In the chain reaction it releases several millions more energy per reaction than any other chemical reaction. This is why nuclear fuel is used. During the reaction the neutrons and fissile isotopes interact, and the neutrons are released from the fissile isotopes during nuclear fission. The neutrons are then subsequently absorbed by the fissile isotopes. As the atoms undertake nuclear fission, some neutrons are released from the atom and they then interact with the surrounding medium, some might be absorbed the fissile fuel and more interactions take place. Mediums are placed in the reaction to slow down the neutrons, so they cause more fission. This is how in nuclear power stations the reactions are continuous. The exothermic reaction releases large amounts of energy, usually as electromagnetic radiation and kinetic energy. This heat heats the water in the primary coolant loop by thermal conduction through fuel cladding. Next the now very hot water travels into the heat exchanger- other known as a steam generator. The heat transfers from one medium to another. They are separated by a solid wall, as to stop them mixing. This turns water (now at around 315 degrees Celsius) into steam from the heat produced by the nuclear reactor core. The water remains a liquid at this temperature because there is lonely a limited amount of space in the reactor. The coolant is pumped at high pressure. This stops the reactor coolant pump from boiling. It travels through the nuclear reactor core and through the tube side of the steam generator Control rods are placed in the reactor core, usually Cadmium, hafnium or boron, and are used to control the rate of reaction and occasionally stop it. This is called a primary loop. In the second loop, the water flows through the steam that was produced in the previous loop, and this boils the water on the shell side. This is then delivered to the turbines, which make them turn, and in doing so generate electricity. The steam is condensed by the cooled water from the tertiary loop, and the water then goes back to the steam generator, where it will be heated once again. Therefore the purpose of the third loop is to cool the water down. This method is the most commonly used way to extract any energy from a controlled nuclear reaction. One thing which must not happen is for the two fluids to mix, because one of the fluids is radioactive. Once the steam generator is turning, the energy extracted drives an electric generator. The electricity is transported through power lines in the National Grid to places all over the country. Sizewell B uses PWR for a variety of reasons: a fuel leak in the core would not pass any radioactive contaminants to other areas e.g. the condenser, and it can operate at high temperature and pressure, so it provides a high Carnot efficiency.

Facts About Sizewell

Sizewell B produces electricity as a part of many other nuclear power stations. The nuclear industry produces well over 8% of our energy, and this is set to rise due to the governments’ decision to increase nuclear capacity. Sizewell itself produces around 3% of our energy. The energy produced from Sizewell goes into the national grid. It covers areas in East Anglia, parts of London and some of the Midlands. The output by Sizewell reaches 1188 MW of electricity, which supplies over 1.5 million homes. To get an idea of how much this energy covers it could power all the domestic needs of everyone in Norfolk and Suffolk. The one reactor in a whole year produces on average 9.7 TWh.

Environmental impacts of Sizewell

Environmental impacts of Sizewell have many implications; they imply locally because it affects there local area severely, and of course they imply nationally, and even globally. One of those impacts is on the beach itself. Due to the fact that Sizewell is on the coast, the offshore dredging can cause coastal erosion. This is because it intensifies wave action and alters wave patterns. Moreover, it also removes the sand banks, which previously protected the beach. So maybe during the span of Sizewell B it is at danger from being de-stabilised. And because the Minsmere Estuary was closed 200 years ago, there is a loss of sedimentation from the North, and because the beaches are being washed away, there could be net loss of sand. Not only is that but because Sizewell is made of aggregate, there a danger that Sizewell could be retaken by the sea. In addition, due to the situation of Sizewell and the impact that has already caused, it increases the danger of flooding in the local area. Sizewell also has a danger of flooding, which would have deep economic impacts. As Sizewell releases Carbon Dioxide emissions, it contributes to climate change. This means not only will there be higher sea levels and storm surges; these will affect the nation and Sizewell itself. High sea levels are not suitable for nuclear reactors, because there is a danger they could breach the sites defences, and even interact with the nuclear reaction process if it were to breach to that extent. These points are expressed by experts as well: Dr Loraine Macfadden of Middlesex Flood Hazard Research Centre said ‘the most sensible approach would be to reject all nuclear new-build within the dynamic coastal environment’. Therefore, she is saying because of the dangers and impacts of placing a nuclear power station on the sea, it is better to place it elsewhere. One other impact Sizewell has on the environment is that it is placed in an area of outstanding natural beauty. To some people this is wrong, because there shouldn’t be placed in such an area. Sizewell itself releases air emissions during all stages of the fuel procurement process. Even if they aren’t releasing carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide, they still release airborne radioactive gasses, with examples including carbon-14 and iodine-131. The impact of Sizewell also is on a global scale, like the Uranium mining. These have a danger of polluting land and water resources, and can have radioactive contamination hazards to mine workers. When the nuclear fuel is processed, it requires electricity to do this. And this electricity comes from fossil fuels, and this contributes to global warming. Also, the water used for the cooling system has to come from the North Sea, so it has a big impact on fish and aquatic environments. The most severe environmental impact has to be the waste that is produced. All the radioactive waste has to be stored and guarded for thousands of years, and this can contaminate land and spoil the landscape, with even worst circumstances possible.

ocial Impacts of Sizewell

Like the environmental impacts, Sizewell also has a big social impact on the surrounding area. It would provide a big boost to the local economy, because of the amount of people Sizewell brings in. It also provides employment and it brings in bigger retail stores, which might not be the best choice for the village of Sizewell. It has also seen increased crime and disorder, with drink driving disorders way up. That is because of the influx of people near to the village, and some would obviously use the pub after work. There have been slight impact on the housing market for workers looking for places to live, but this is not a major impact as issue as there is an on-site workers hotel for some of them. They also have built a new road for Sizewell designated for heavy goods vehicles, to keep them away from the small villages. Although Sizewell provides some jobs for the local community, most of the workers there are migrants from abroad. This is not very beneficial to the local community. Furthermore what is demanded by Sizewell like labour and skills tests the local economy, of which at times they have not had. When Sizewell B was made they had a workforce of 20,000 some of whom were local, but when it was finished a lot of local workforce was made redundant. One devastating impact Sizewell has on the community is that it drives away any skilled or educated workers. This is because they offer high salaries, of which local employers cannot meet, and it ends up that they have gaps in their employment, which has a big impact on how successful businesses are. These factors all have big effects, but the local community also have many concerns themselves. During a meeting about the new Sizewell build consultation at Statford St Andrew on the 16th July 2008, they had many recent concerns about Sizewell. One which was first brought up was the level of traffic that would be passing through the area. They expressed there deep concerns about the need for a new bypass, and they seem very worried about the level of traffic. They also express that as the traffic gets off the bypass and head towards Sizewell, they say that the roads cannot handle the traffic. From what I picked up they seemed angry at the plant because they didn’t look properly at the impact that Sizewell had further up or down the coast, just at the site itself. This shows they have low confidence in the plant. They also raised the issue that Sizewell is causing water problems, because they are using a lot of water and the local infrastructure is struggling to support that.

Health and Safety

There are many health and safety laws and regulations that apply that apply to the industry, especially so because of the nature of the industry Sizewell is in. The main law that applies to Sizewell is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This makes sure employers make sure workers and the public are safe. This is backed up by the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. This applies to all nuclear installations. Under the statutory provisions laid out by the NIA any site can not have a nuclear facility without being given a site license by the Health and Safety executive. The only people that can have such a license are a corporate body. This is a group of people who act together, and have a different legal identity to the individuals’ members’ identity. Another regulation which applies to the nuclear industry is the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999. This makes sure they provide protection for their workers from ionising radiation. When the corporate body receives the license, they have conditions on general safety requirements to deal with the risks of a nuclear site. These are attached in different ways: they can have a safety case to meet a stage in the plants life, or they can have arrangements and procedures so they can meet a license condition. The ND also laid out guidance in safety assessment principles. The ND wants to carry on raising the standards of safety, which they do this by assessing safety cases and inspecting sites for license compliance. Security is a big part in the health and safety of workers and the surrounding area at Sizewell. The Office for Civil Nuclear Industry is the security regulator. It makes sure these sites are protected and makes sure the security arrangements are approved to the standards they expect. The works ONCS undertake are regulated by the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003. Other work includes that anyone that works with nuclear material or information is vetted. There are also numerous safeguards to the nuclear industry which is overseen by the UK Safeguards Office. This is to make sure they abide by international safeguards obligations. The Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons give an obligation that the nuclear material e.g. uranium, is not used for nuclear explosive purposes. Moreover, the EURATOM Treaty includes requirements for the application ensures that the UK Nuclear Industry complies by having safeguards inspectors that inspect sites. UKSO do this by checking standards, make sure that the safeguards are not unreasonable, assisting UK operators in meeting safeguards, and provide support to safeguards officials in DBERR on safeguards policy issues. of safeguards by the European Commission. The UKSO monitors the application of safeguards measures, and makes sure the UK Additional Protocol is implemented. The UK Additional Protocol attempts to improve and strengthen the efficiency of the IAEA safeguards system. Sizewell A it is now being decommissioned after 40 years of producing electricity. This is being regulated under the Nuclear Reactors Regulations 1999 under the section of Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning. The regulations consider the potential environmental impact of decommissioning projects, and to make the decision making process on granting permission open or transparent. As well as all the health and safety that Sizewell requires, the environment agency also plays a big role. They are responsible for managing the radioactive waste produced by Sizewell. Due to the time it takes to decay it requires long term management by the agency. They also regulate abstraction from controlled waters, assessment and possible clean up of contaminated land, and look at flood risk management matters. NWAT- the Nuclear Waste Assessment Team- provides specialist technical support to the environment agency when dealing with the radioactive waste. They make sure the waste is disposed of properly as to protect the public and environment, but also contribute to the sustainable development of the country. The Radioactive Waste Policy group also play a big part in the disposal of the radioactive waste. It represents all the UK government departments when it reviews and makes recommendations on radioactive waste management in the UK, an also covers radioactive discharges and corresponding regulatory processes and arrangements. Lastly the Department of Transport also play a key role in the Health and Safety of Sizewell. All of the goods that are transported to Sizewell via the railway are well regulated and protected. For example, there are controls on the storage, parking and training of staff who handle the nuclear material. This addresses the risks of accidents and therefore minimise the risk of spillages. This is all under the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations 2007. More recently the European Commission have taken on new rail security measures and introduced a higher level of danger (which applies to Sizewell) in which they highlight the risks of dangerous chemicals in transport e.g. nuclear material. All civil nuclear material is regulated by the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003.

External links

* [http://www.sizewellhall.com Sizewell Hall]
* [http://www.britishnucleargroup.com/content.php?pageID=275 British Nuclear Group, Sizewell A]
* [http://www.british-energy.com/pagetemplate.php?pid=96 British Energy — Sizewell B]