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Heysham nuclear power plant B1

Operating United Kingdom
Gross capacity
680MW

Heysham nuclear power plant B1 is a gas-cooled reactor unit at Heysham nuclear power plant in United Kingdom rated at 680 MW gross. It is operating. Commercial operation began 1 Apr 1989.

Specification
Reactor type Gas-cooled reactor (GCR)
ModelAGR
Size classLarge
CoolantCarbon dioxide
ModeratorGraphite
Gross capacity680MW
Net capacity (reference)620MW
Net capacity (design)615MW
Thermal output1,550MWt
Typical enrichmentNatural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235
Ownership & location
SiteHeysham nuclear power plant
UnitB1
CountryUnited Kingdom
OwnerEDF Energy Ltd100%
OperatorEDF Energy
Coordinates 54.0310, -2.9112
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium metal (Magnox) or uranium dioxide (AGR)
Enrichment
Natural uranium to 2.5–3.5% U-235 no enrichment required
Who makes this assembly
Upstream

This unit runs on natural uranium, so its fuel chain has no enrichment step at all: mine → mill → conversion → fabrication. That is the shortest fuel chain of any commercial reactor type, and it makes the operator independent of the four organisations that control enrichment worldwide.

Conversion
CamecoCNNCConverDynOranoRosatom
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units — utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.

Timeline

  1. 1 Aug 1980Construction start
  2. 23 Jun 1988First criticality
  3. 12 Jul 1988Grid connection
  4. 1 Apr 1989Commercial operation

Other units at Heysham nuclear power plant

UnitStatusGross MW
Heysham nuclear power plant A1 Operating 625
Heysham nuclear power plant A2 Operating 625
Heysham nuclear power plant B2 Operating 680

Other AGR units

15 units worldwide share this model designation.

UnitCountryStatusGross MW
Hartlepool nuclear power plant A1 United Kingdom Operating 655
Hartlepool nuclear power plant A2 United Kingdom Operating 655
Heysham nuclear power plant A1 United Kingdom Operating 625
Heysham nuclear power plant A2 United Kingdom Operating 625
Heysham nuclear power plant B2 United Kingdom Operating 680
Torness nuclear power plant 1 United Kingdom Operating 682
Torness nuclear power plant 2 United Kingdom Operating 682
Dungeness nuclear power plant B1 United Kingdom Retired 615
Dungeness nuclear power plant B2 United Kingdom Retired 615
Hinkley Point nuclear power plant B1 United Kingdom Retired 655
Hinkley Point nuclear power plant B2 United Kingdom Retired 655
Hunterston nuclear power plant B1 United Kingdom Retired 644

Sources