Slashdot Mirror
Last Operating Magnox Nuclear Reactor Closes
nojayuk writes: The world's last operating
Magnox
nuclear reactor, Wylfa 1 in Anglesey, Wales was closed yesterday
after providing carbon-free power for over 40 years. Wylfa1 was originally scheduled to shut in 2012 along with the adjacent Wylfa 2 reactor but it was kept operating for another three years with the innovative use of partially-burnt fuel from Wylfa 2 and remaining stocks of fresh Magnox fuel. The reactor will be defuelled and move into its decommissioning phase over the next year. The Magnox design used gas-cooling and a carbon moderator with the capability to produce weapons-grade plutonium depending on how it was fuelled and operated. Its design fed into the next-generation AGRs which provide about 6GW of Britain's electricity supply today.
Almost 45 years later, staff gathered to mark the Reactor One switch-off
reactor team so rory left on holiday for spain yesterday and told us, rite, to make sure we shut everything off before new years. so i dont know if that means the reactor too or if he wants that on...
cheeky bloke: he was a right bastard last year 'bout not turning off that kettle in the kitchen though mates...
reactor team: right right... best to shut off the ole magnox lest he send another of those fiery emails.
cheeky bloke: nobody!? right. ill get the sodding kettle then.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Unfortunately, it really is not. Pumped hydro energy storage facilities do work; they are reasonably efficient and they can store a lot of energy. But you have to have a pretty unique combination of geology and hydrology to build such a facility.
The energy storage problems really is THE ISSUE with solar and wind. There is no magic answer.