U.K. agency: Last batch of fuel removed from closed Oldbury nuclear plant

The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) said this week that the last fuel assemblies have been removed from the closed Oldbury Nuclear Power Station near Oldbury-on-Severn, England.

The NDA said 99 percent of radioactive waste also has been removed from the site.

“I am extremely proud of the whole team for working together to reach this important milestone in record time,” Site Director Mike Heaton said. “It has not been an easy task, and the work at Oldbury is far from complete, but today is a significant landmark in the site’s journey toward care and maintenance.”

The NDA said now that the fuel has been removed, the decommissioning phase will begin, and that it aims to enter the maintenance and care stage in 2027.

“The dispatch of the final fuel flask from Oldbury is a significant hazard-reduction milestone and marks the completion of a major programme of work as the site continues its journey toward entering care and maintenance,” NDA Head of Programs Brian Burnett said. “My congratulations to the Magnox team at Oldbury for an excellent job achieved ahead of schedule.”