Springfields

Nuclear site in Lancashire, England

For the British folk/pop group featuring Dusty Springfield, see The Springfields. For the fictional power plant in The Simpsons, see Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. For the shopping centre, see Springfields Outlet Shopping & Leisure. For the theme park, see Springfields Fun Park.

Springfields

View from Deepdale Lane

Location of Springfields

Built| 1940 (as munitions factory); 1946 (as nuclear fuels facility)
Location| Salwick, Lancashire, England
Coordinates| 53°46′39″N 2°48′29″W﻿ / ﻿53.77750°N 2.80806°W﻿ / 53.77750; -2.80806
Industry| Nuclear fuel
Products| oxide fuels; uranium hexafluoride
Employees| 800[1]
Address| Springfields Fuels Limited, Westinghouse, Springfields, Salwick, Preston PR4 0XJ

Springfields is a nuclear fuel production installation in Salwick, near Preston in Lancashire, England (grid reference SD468315). The site is currently operated by Springfields Fuels Limited, under the management of Westinghouse Electric UK Limited, on a 150-year lease from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.[2] Since its conversion from a munitions factory in 1946, it has previously been operated and managed by a number of different organisations including the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels.[3] Fuel products are produced for the UK's nuclear power stations and for international customers.[4]

## Activities on the site

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The site has been making nuclear fuels since the mid-1940s. The site is notable for being the first nuclear plant in the world to produce Magnox fuel for a commercial power station (Calder Hall).[3][4]

The four main activities carried out on the site are:[5][4]

* Production of oxide fuels for advanced gas-cooled and light water reactors, as well as intermediate fuel products (uranium dioxide powders, granules, and pellets)
* Production of uranium hexafluoride, or "hex"
* Processing of fuel-cycle residues
* Decommissioning and demolition of redundant plants and buildings[3]

At its peak the site employed 4000 people, but reduced demand and increased automation saw this fall to about 800 by 2020.[4]

In December 2022 Westinghouse received a £13 million grant from the UK government to explore the development of Uranium Conversion Services at the site.[6]

## Protests

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Protests have been held at the site against the production of nuclear waste. In the 1980s there were also protests against apartheid, due to the use of uranium imported from Namibia.

## Future of the plant

[edit]

Decommissioning activities have so far resulted in 87 buildings on the site having been fully demolished.[7] A Clean Energy Technology Park (CETP) has been set up to encourage new companies to operate on the site.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Legal". Retrieved 10 December 2024.
2. ^ Chapman, Ben (30 March 2017). "Westinghouse bankruptcy: Is the future of nuclear power in the UK in doubt?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
3. ^ a b c "Westinghouse". Westinghouse website on nuclear sites. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
4. ^ a b c d e "Springfields: what next?". Nuclear Engineering International. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
5. ^ "Nuclear Fuel Manufacture at Springfields" (PDF brochure). Wesinghouse. 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
6. ^ "Westinghouse Receives UK Government Grant to Explore Uranium Conversion Services".
7. ^ "Nuclear Decommissioning Agency". Decommissioning at Springfields site. Retrieved 16 December 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Nuclear power in the United Kingdom

* Energy in the United Kingdom
* Nuclear power

Companies|

| Current|

* Great British Nuclear
* EDF Energy
* Magnox Ltd
* Rolls-Royce
* Sellafield Ltd
* Sheffield Forgemasters
* Urenco

New build operators|

* NNB Generation Company
* Horizon Nuclear Power

Defunct|

* British Energy
* British Nuclear Group
* Magnox Electric
* Nuclear Electric
* Scottish Nuclear
* NuGeneration

Organisations|

* Civil Nuclear Constabulary
* Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
* Nuclear Industry Association
* Nuclear Institute
* Nuclear Liabilities Fund
* Office for Nuclear Regulation
* United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
* United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory

Reactors|

| AGR|

* Hartlepool
* Heysham 1
* Heysham 2
* Torness

|

AGR (closed)|

* Dungeness B
* Hinkley Point B
* Hunterston B

FBR (closed)|

* Dounreay

Magnox (closed)|

* Berkeley
* Bradwell
* Calder Hall
* Chapelcross
* Dungeness A
* Hinkley Point A
* Hunterston A
* Oldbury
* Sizewell A
* Trawsfynydd
* Wylfa

PWR|

| Active|

* Sizewell B

|

Planned|

* Bradwell B
* Hinkley Point C
* Moorside
* Sizewell C

Non-reactor sites|

* Capenhurst
* uranium enrichment
* Sellafield
* Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
* Windscale fire
* Springfields (fuel manufacture)
* Winfrith (research and development)

Anti-nuclear|

* Energy Fair

Other|

* Franco-British Nuclear Forum
* Nuclear or Not?
* Nuclear Power and the Environment
* Nuclear power in Scotland
* Sustainable Development Commission

Category

* v
* t
* e

Buildings and structures in the Borough of Fylde

Grade I|

* Lytham Hall

Grade II*|

| Places of worship|

* Lytham: St Cuthbert
* St John
* Kirkham: St Michael

|

Grade II|

* Burlingtons Bar
* By the Way
* Ivy House
* Lifeboat Memorial, Lytham
* Lifeboat Monument, St Annes
* Lytham Windmill
* Malt Kiln Farmhouse
* Railway Hotel, Kirkham
* St Annes-on-the-Sea Carnegie Library
* St Anne's Pier

Places of worship|

* Kirkham: St John the Evangelist
* St Annes-on-the-Sea: St Anne
* St Thomas
* Singleton: St Anne
* Weeton: St Michael
* Wesham: Christ Church
* Wrea Green: St Nicholas

Unlisted|

* Cartford Bridge
* The Cartford Inn
* The Eagle at Weeton
* HM Prison Kirkham
* Lytham Hospital
* Lytham St Annes Town Hall
* Shard Bridge
* Springfields
* Warton Aerodrome
* Weeton Barracks

Places of worship|

* Clifton (Lund): St John the Evangelist

Demolished|

* Lytham Priory
* Lytham Pier

Listed in|

* Bryning-with-Warton
* Elswick
* Freckleton
* Greenhalgh-with-Thistleton
* Kirkham
* Little Eccleston-with-Larbreck
* Lytham
* Medlar-with-Wesham
* Newton-with-Clifton
* Ribby-with-Wrea
* St Annes
* Singleton
* Staining
* Treales, Roseacre and Wharles
* Weeton-with-Preese
* Westby-with-Plumptons

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