Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Nuclear power in Scotland

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

There are two nuclear power stations in Scotland, and several nuclear-powered submarines are based there. Nuclear Power accounts for approximately 35% of Scotland's electricity generation.

Contents

The current Scottish National Party (SNP) government elected in 2007 has a 'no new nuclear power strategy'. This position is at odds with UK government policy which in January 2008 announced the go-ahead for new nuclear power stations to be built across the United Kingdom. In response, Scotland's then First Minister Alex Salmond commented there was 'no chance' of new nuclear power stations being built in Scotland. The Parliament voted 63-58 to support the policy of opposing new nuclear power stations, but others support nuclear as part of a sustainable, clean energy policy.

Power station reactors

  • Chapelcross, Dumfries and Galloway - 4 x 180MW(th) (Generation ceased in June 2004)
  • Hunterston A, North Ayrshire (Generation ceased 1990)
  • Hunterston B, North Ayrshire EDF Energy owned AGR
  • Torness, East Lothian 2 x 682MWe. EDF Energy owned AGR

    • Research reactors

  • Dounreay
  • VULCAN (Rolls-Royce Naval Marine) (decommissioned in 1992)
  • PWR2 (Rolls-Royce Naval Marine) - (scheduled to shut down in 2014)
  • DMTR - (shut down 1969)
  • Dounreay Fast Reactor - Fast breeder reactor (shut down 1994)
  • Prototype fast reactor - (shut down 1994)
  • East Kilbride - Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre (100 kW Argonaut class reactor deactivated 1995, fully dismantled 2003)

    • Nuclear-powered vessels

    HMNB Clyde (Faslane) is the homeport of the nuclear-powered submarines of the Vanguard and Astute classes :

  • HMS Vanguard
  • HMS Victorious
  • HMS Vigilant
  • HMS Vengeance
  • HMS Astute
  • HMS Ambush
  • HMS Artful

    • As of 2007 seven nuclear-powered submarines were stored at Rosyth Dockyard after decommissioning and the removal of their fuel :

  • HMS Churchill
  • HMS Dreadnought
  • HMS Resolution
  • HMS Repulse
  • HMS Renown
  • HMS Revenge
  • HMS Swiftsure

    • Public opinion

    In 2013, a YouGov energy survey concluded that:

    New YouGov research for Scottish Renewables shows Scots are twice as likely to favour wind power over nuclear or shale gas. Over six in ten (62%) people in Scotland say they would support large scale wind projects in their local area, more than double the number who said they would be generally for shale gas (24%) and almost twice as much as nuclear (32%). Hydro power is the most popular energy source for large scale projects in Scotland, with an overwhelming majority (80%) being in favour.

    References

    Nuclear power in Scotland Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA