Capenhurst Uranium Enrichment Plant
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England /
Saughall /
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/ United Kingdom
/ England
/ Saughall
World / United Kingdom / England
uranium enrichment plant
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At its formation in 1971, BNFL inherited the Capenhurst Site and the massive Gaseous Diffusion Plant which was used to 'enrich' uranium, one of the processes required to make fuel for nuclear power stations. Even then research was underway into a new and much more efficient way of enriching uranium, the Centrifuge process. BNFL collaborated with Dutch and German partners in URENCO to develop centrifuge technology, and the first commercial scale centrifuge plant was opened at Capenhurst in 1976.
In 1982, the Diffusion plant ceased operation and BNFL began the task of decommissioning the plant, which was completed in May 1997. The special military enrichment plant at Capenhurst is currently inactive, given the large inventories of highly-enriched uranium [HEU] held by the UK.
In 1993 the BNFL transferred their centrifuge enrichment businesses into a new substantial Urenco Company, based at Marlow. At Capenhurst the result was that the centrifuge plants and their operators, together with design offices, laboratories and other functions transferred. On the BNFL site this left only one major project, the decommissioning of the old Diffusion Plant together with material storage and some service work in support of Urenco.
The URENCO (Capenhurst) Plant, however, has continued to grow in capacity. Since 1993 the site has established itself as a highly successful operation, expanding its production capacity to 5,000 tSW/a by the end of 31 December 2011, and contributing to the Group's objective of being the leading international supplier of enriched uranium and associated technologies. The site employs over 300 people and provides the local community with long-term employment in a technical environment.
The largest of Capenhurst's three plants, E23, houses more than 80% of the site’s enrichment capacity. It began operation in 1997, and has continued to expand ever since.Capenhurst's other plants, E22 and A3, continue to contribute significantly to the site's total output.
www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/uk/capenhurst.htm
www.urenco.com/content/41/urenco-uk-.aspx
In 1982, the Diffusion plant ceased operation and BNFL began the task of decommissioning the plant, which was completed in May 1997. The special military enrichment plant at Capenhurst is currently inactive, given the large inventories of highly-enriched uranium [HEU] held by the UK.
In 1993 the BNFL transferred their centrifuge enrichment businesses into a new substantial Urenco Company, based at Marlow. At Capenhurst the result was that the centrifuge plants and their operators, together with design offices, laboratories and other functions transferred. On the BNFL site this left only one major project, the decommissioning of the old Diffusion Plant together with material storage and some service work in support of Urenco.
The URENCO (Capenhurst) Plant, however, has continued to grow in capacity. Since 1993 the site has established itself as a highly successful operation, expanding its production capacity to 5,000 tSW/a by the end of 31 December 2011, and contributing to the Group's objective of being the leading international supplier of enriched uranium and associated technologies. The site employs over 300 people and provides the local community with long-term employment in a technical environment.
The largest of Capenhurst's three plants, E23, houses more than 80% of the site’s enrichment capacity. It began operation in 1997, and has continued to expand ever since.Capenhurst's other plants, E22 and A3, continue to contribute significantly to the site's total output.
www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/uk/capenhurst.htm
www.urenco.com/content/41/urenco-uk-.aspx
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capenhurst
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Coordinates: 53°15'52"N 2°57'10"W
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