Hinkley Point

Construction of Hinkley Point A Power Station in Somerset is underway. It began in 1957 consisting of two buildings containing Magnox gas-cooled reactors or GCR each suppling steam to three English Electric 93.5MN turbine generators. The design followed the principles of the Calder Hall nuclear power station (which became Windscale and is now Sellafield) in Cumbria, the world's first commercial nuclear power station which connected to the national grid in 1956.

Built to generate electricity Hinkley Point A was modified so that weapons grade plutonium could be extracted for military purposes. Hinkley Point B next to the two Magnox reactor buildings of Point A is operated by Electricite de France or EDF Energy. As of 2013 the construction of Hinkley Point C has been approved and is scheduled for completion by 2023 and is expected to generate about seven per cent of Britain's electricity. Point A was closed in April 1999 to carry out nuclear installation inspections due to uncertainties in the reactor pressure vessel material. Point A was officially shut down on 23 May 2000. Nuclear Power Stations are usually built at the coast because they need water to cool the reactors.