Hinkley Point
Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, 5 miles (8 kilometres) north of Bridgwater and 5 mi (8 km) west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett.
Hinkley Point adjoins the Bridgwater Bay (Site of Special Scientific Interest)[1] and nature reserve,[2] and is a popular location for birdwatching and fossil hunting. A visitor centre in the nearby town Bridgwater gives access to information, as well as running tours of the plant. There is also a nature trail which features plants, birds and butterflies.[3]
The exposed location of Hinkley Point meant that it was considered ideal for wind generation. However, a proposal to build 12 wind turbines close to the site of the nuclear power stations was turned down in October 2005.[4] The reason given by the local council for the rejection was safety fears over what would happen were a turbine blade to detach and hit "something or somebody".[4]
Nuclear power stations
The landscape of Hinkley Point is dominated by two nuclear power stations:
- Hinkley Point A - Magnox (now closed)
- Hinkley Point B - AGR
The Government has announced its support for a third nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. Electricité de France (EDF) plan to build a twin-unit European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) power station, called Hinkley Point C, subject to electricity pricing agreement with the government.[5][6] The new station, in conjunction with Sizewell C, could contribute 13% of UK electricity in the early 2020s.[5]
References
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