FAQs: OLDBURY

• Why Oldbury?

Land adjacent to the existing power station at Oldbury is one of 8 UK sites included in the Government's Nuclear National Policy Statement (NPS) as being potentially suitable for new nuclear build.  This list of sites is due to be debated in Parliament in the coming months.

The site also has certain advantages of being close to an existing nuclear power station, such as existing grid connections and infrastructure.

• What are you planning to build at Oldbury?

We are planning to install up to approximately 3,300 MW (megawatts) of new electricity generating capacity and we already have a connection agreement in place with National Grid for this.

At this stage we anticipate that a possible new nuclear power station at Oldbury could comprise of either two 1,650MW Areva EPR reactors or up to three 1,100MW Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. The difference in reactor numbers arises from the differences in electricity generating capacity of the two designs.

The Government has set up a process called Generic Design Assessment (GDA) to ensure that any reactor designs used in the UK meet the highest level of health, safety and environmental criteria. Both Areva's UK EPR and Westinghouse's AP1000 are currently being evaluated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) as part of this process.

• What will the new power station look like?

It's too early to say what a new plant would look like because it depends on which reactor design we choose.

We recognise that the visual impact of the proposed plant concerns local people, so we have produced two layouts to show what a new plant could look like based on each of the two possible designs. These layouts can be found within our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report.

We are currently carrying out studies to identify the most appropriate cooling tower technologies for the site taking into account a balance of environmental (including visual impact), technical and commercial aspects. When these studies are complete we will be consulting the local and wider communities on our proposals before making a final decision. As part of our EIA we will need to show we have considered all viable alternatives for cooling and the reasons for our final chosen design.

• Why will cooling towers be needed?

A new plant at Oldbury would have a much greater electricity generating capacity than the existing station. As a result either possible design would need an 'indirect' cooling system requiring cooling towers as the estuary simply couldn't cope with the much greater need for cooling water.

We are carrying out a study to decide on the most appropriate cooling tower technology, evaluating a balance of technical, commercial and environmental aspects. This includes looking at visual impacts across a wide distance from the proposed site. These studies are looking at all possible options and are focusing on two main types of cooling tower, natural draft (NDCT) and forced draft hybrid towers.

• You have recently announced that hybrid towers are your preferred option at Oldbury, why can’t you commit to this option now?

We know and understand that the cooling tower size and design is of utmost importance to local people. Given the significance of the issue, and honouring our commitment to keep people up to date, we wanted to share our early view that hybrid cooling towers are now the preferred option for our proposed new nuclear station at Oldbury.

However, until our cooling tower studies are completed and we have consulted local people formally on our proposed power station designs (as part of the pre-application consultation requirements), it would be premature to confirm the final outcome.

• Hybrid cooling towers require fans, won't that be noisy?

All cooling towers will give rise to noise to some extent, and it is normal to include a noise specification to the manufacturer so that the towers will meet background noise limits imposed by regulators.

Site design and landscaping will be used to mitigate noise and the measures we propose will form a key part of any future planning application.

• Aren't hybrid cooling towers more expensive than natural draft?

It’s true that the capital cost of building hybrid towers is greater than for Natural Draft Cooling Towers (NDCT). However, a power station is made up of many different components and systems, and ultimately the final design needs to be an acceptable balance between technical, environmental and commercial factors. The cooling tower cost has also to be weighed against the full cost of a nuclear power station, and in that context the relative cost difference between the tower types is not so great.

Operational costs for hybrid cooling towers are also higher than for NDCT, due to the need to operate and maintain electric fans in the hybrid design. However, this is a relatively low burden when considered in the context of the overall expenditure through the lifetime of a nuclear power station.

Although NDCT may be considered to be the most logical choice of cooling tower, we appreciate that there were many local concerns about the impact that they could have on the landscape. In evaluating our preferred cooling option for Oldbury, we have sought to achieve an acceptable balance between commercial, technical and environmental factors.

• How much power do hybrid towers use to run?

Hybrid cooling towers use fans to force the air to flow through the towers, these fans require additional power. Current information suggests that hybrid towers for our proposed nuclear power station near Oldbury would use an additional 40 MW, or approximately 1.2% of the station’s output.

• Isn't the proposed site prone to flooding?

There is a requirement to protect nuclear sites from a 1 in 10,000 year flood risk. Proposals for ensuring this level of protection are being developed with the Environment Agency (EA) and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and are likely to consist of a combination of site-raising alongside improvements to the area's existing flood protection measures.

Whatever scheme is finally proposed we will have to demonstrate that our flood protection measures do not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere in the locality.

• How will the power station be connected to the National Grid

There are currently two 132kV overhead lines connecting the existing Oldbury station into the National Grid. To be able to export the electricity generated by our proposed new station, these two lines will need to be upgraded to 400kv.

These improvements will involve increasing the capacity of the existing lines and diverting them from the current 132kV substation next to the Oldbury Magnox station to a new 400kV substation which would be built next to the proposed power station site. While the majority of the existing towers along the route would remain in place, some replacement towers and overhead lines will be required close to the site, with any redundant towers and lines being removed.

All this work will be done by National Grid (NGET) who will carry out its own public consultation process on this aspect of the scheme.

• What are the key steps before the power station can be built?

There are three key parts to the new planning regime for large infrastructure projects such as new nuclear power stations.

1. National Policy Statements (NPSs)
The Government consulted on six draft energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) during 2009 and 2010 which set out its policy on energy infrastructure for England and Wales.

Once this consultation was completed, an NPS with suggested sites was published in June 2011 and approved by Parliamentary vote on 18^th July 2011. Following this, individual developers, such as Horizon Nuclear Power, will be required to seek planning and other consents to build a new power station and this would involve further public consultation.   

2. Pre-Application Community Consultation
Before we can submit any planning application we will have to carry out formal public consultations. Before we can start this we are required to consult relevant local authorities on a Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC).This sets out our commitment on how we will consult communities on our proposals for new nuclear power at Oldbury. The final version of our SOCC will be published both in local media and on our website.

Subsequently, two rounds of public consultation are likely. The first will be on our preliminary designs, issues and options and the second round on our preferred proposals.

These consultations will also include environmental information which will form part of the Environmental Statement - another key document which will accompany our planning application.

We will then produce a Consultation Report on how community consultation was carried out, the responses received and, with relevant justification, how those responses influenced the development. This report must be included as part of the application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), the new body responsible for granting or declining planning applications such as ours.

3. IPC Examination Phase
A future planning application will be submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). This will be followed by a period in which anyone can make their views known on the application. Details of how and when to have a say will be publicised by the IPC.

The IPC then sets the timetable for the examination process, which will include further opportunities for communities to get involved and have their say through written submissions and, where necessary, 'open floor' hearings.

• How can I have a say on the proposals?

We are committed to clear and transparent communication and will continue to engage with local communities to keep them up to date with our proposals. In addition, the new planning regime includes a more formal requirement for pre-application consultation with local people in which we will be seeking input and feedback on our plans.

We have developed a chart which sets out the different stages in the new planning regime and this shows where individuals and local communities have the opportunity to have their say on our proposals.
Opportunities For Community Input

• What benefits would the new station bring? (jobs, community benefit etc.)

A new nuclear power station at Oldbury would create around 5,000 jobs during the construction period, with 800 permanent jobs being created when the plant becomes operational. During periods of planned maintenance, workforce numbers would be expected to exceed a further 1,000 people.

A large power station, such as the one we plan to build at Oldbury, would also inject significant sums each year into the local economy through indirect employment and the demand for goods and services from local businesses.