Nuclear Plan For Decommissioned Coal Power Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Nuclear power could be generated on the site of a former coal power station in Nottinghamshire.
These first four paragraphs add details.
Cottam Power Station was decommissioned in 2019, and in August its eight 114m (375ft) cooling towers were demolished.
Three businesses – American energy firm Holtec International, EDF UK, and real estate manager Tritax – have now signed an agreement to set up a small modular reactor (SMR) to power “advanced” data centres at the 900-acre site.
Holtec said the project could create “thousands of high-skilled manufacturing and construction jobs”, as well as “long-term roles”.
The SMR at Cottam would be the second of its kind, following the creation of a plant at Palisades in Michigan, in the US.
Note.
- Cottam was a 2,000 MW power station, that could run on coal, oil and biomass.
- If a nuclear power station is built at Cottam, it will be one of the first nuclear stations not close to the coast.
I asked Google AI for details of the plant at Palisades in Michigan and received this reply.
The Palisades SMR project at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan will feature two Holtec SMR-300 units, each producing at least 300 megawatts of power, for a combined total of at least 600-640 megawatts of net power. This project aims to have the first US dual-unit SMR 300 system operational by 2030, and the SMRs are designed to produce electricity and provide steam for other industrial purposes.
It does appear that the new generation of reactors from Holtec, Rolls-Royce and X-energy are smaller than many nuclear reactors built in the last twenty years.
This Google Map shows the Cottam site.
Note.
- The River Trent surrounds the site.
- Could the Trent be used for cooling water?
- The cooling towers are still in place, so the image must have been taken before August.
- The sub-station is in the South-West corner of the site.
- The railway over Torksey viaduct is disused.
It would appear that there is generous space for the SMRs and a few data centres.
The Cottam Solar Project
In DCO Decision On 480MW West Burton Solar NSIP Delayed Until 2025, I wrote about three large solar projects in Eastern England.
The Cottam Solar Project was one of the projects and wants to use the Cottam site.
- The Cottam Solar Project has a web site.
- It will have a capacity of 600 MW, with a battery, with a battery with a 600 MW output and a 600 MWh capacity.
- The solar farm will use the grid connection of the former coal-powered Cottam power station.
- The project is massive and will cover 1270 hectares.
Will this solar project lease space for the SMR, so they can co-exist?
Conclusion
It does appear that there are more than one use for old coal-fired power station sites.
DCO Decision On 480MW West Burton Solar NSIP Delayed Until 2025
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
The article talks about Island Green Power and their plans to develop three large solar farms in Eastern England.
They appear to be a UK-registered company with international connections.
These are the three projects.
The West Burton Project
This is the introductory paragraph for the West Burton Project.
Solar PV developer Island Green Power has seen a development consent order (DCO) decision delayed by the UK government for its 480MW West Burton project located across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
Note.
- The West Burton Project has a web site.
- It will have a capacity of 480 MW.
- The solar farm will use the grid connection of the former coal-powered West Burton power station.
- The project will cover 788 hectares.
The site is a few miles South-West of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire.
The East Pye Solar Project
These are the two introductory paragraphs for the East Pye Solar Project.
This setback comes days after Island Green Power opened a public consultation on early-stage plans for a 500MW solar PV power plant co-located with a battery energy storage system (BESS) that could have up to 500MW output.
The East Pye Solar project will be situated on 1,100 hectares of land south of Norwich and north of Harleston. Solar PV modules would be installed at two points within this area, approximately 6.5km apart.
Note.
- The East Pye Solar Project has a web site.
- It will have a capacity of 500 MW, with a battery with a 500 MW output. The battery capacity is not stated.
- The project will cover 1100 hectares.
- This article on the BBC is entitled New Proposed Solar Farm Could Power 115,000 Homes, gives more details.
- It appears that the solar farm will have a new grid connection to the grid connection between Norwich and Bramford to the West of Ipswich.
- There is also a web site, which is entitled Block The Development of East Pye Solar Farm.
The site is a few miles East of Long Stratton in South Norfolk.
The Cottam Solar Project
These are the two introductory paragraphs for the Cottam Solar Project.
The non-statutory consultation comes after Island Green revealed plans for the development early in September, just one week after energy secretary Ed Miliband granted the developer a DCO for the 600MW Cottam Solar Project.
The 600MW development will comprise four ground-mounted solar PV generating stations in West Lindsay, Lincolnshire, four on-site substations and a BESS across four separate sites, totalling an area of 1,270 hectares.
Note.
- The Cottam Solar Project has a web site.
- It will have a capacity of 600 MW, with a battery, with a battery with a 600 MW output and a 600 MWh capacity.
- The solar farm will use the grid connection of the former coal-powered Cottam power station.
- The project will cover 1270 hectares.
The site is a few miles East of Retford in Lincolnshire.
Island Green
It does appear that Island Green like large solar farms.
- West Burton – 480 MW – 788 hectares
- East Pye – 500 MW, – 500 MW battery- 1100 hectares
- Cottam – 600 MW, 600 MW/600 MWh battery – 1270 hectares
Whether some of their neighbours will is another matter.
But at least two of them have batteries.
What we will be forced to accept from this unscientifically-green Government, I dread to think.
The Anonymous Widower 