Can an old nuclear power plant have a green future? | UK News

Seventy years ago work started on a project which profoundly changed the landscape of a part of southern Scotland.

About 2,000 workers were drafted in as construction began in 1955 on the Chapelcross nuclear power station near Annan – the first in Scotland.

It started generating electricity in 1959 and continued until 2004, with decommissioning work still ongoing on the site today.

Now there are plans in place which could continue its role meeting the nation’s energy needs – but from very different sources.

Building the plant was a massive task with the concrete housing the four reactors up to eight feet (2.5m) thick.

Its four cooling towers – which became a familiar landmark before being demolished in 2007 – stood 71ft (21m) high.

The site was officially opened on 2 May 1959 and at its peak provided employment for hundreds of people.

At full power it could generate enough electricity to meet the needs of every home in south west Scotland, the Borders and Cumbria.

It also produced vital elements for use in atomic bombs.

After it ceased operation there were some calls for a replacement nuclear plant to be built on the site but the Scottish government is opposed to constructing new ones.

Instead, it is hoped the area can take advantage of its links to the national grid by becoming a green energy hub and ensure it remains a big employer in the area.

One man who has seen more of its story than most is site director for Nuclear Restoration Services at Chapelcross, Richard Murray.

He started out as an apprentice in 1987 and has spent a little over 30 years of his career in total at the Dumfries and Galloway plant.

“I’m an Annan person, born and bred,” he said.

“I’ve had quite a number of aunts and uncles and cousins work on the site, so I’ve got quite a long family affinity to the site as well and obviously being brought up in Annan I knew a large number of people who worked here.”

He said its importance for the local economy was hard to overstate.

“At its peak, it was well in excess of 700 people employed here,” he said.

“It was a 24/7 operation, 365 days a year – parts of the town of Annan were built to accommodate the site in terms of housing workers from the area.”

There are still about 200 people working during decommissioning so it remains an important employer but well short of the numbers it once had.

He said the taking down of the cooling towers in 2007 was a big moment as many people from the area used to say that when you saw them you knew you were nearly home.

“From my own personal perspective, I could see them from my bedroom window when I was growing up as a child, so it was a real landmark for the area,” he added.

He hopes it can see worker numbers rise again in its new role looking at hydrogen, solar power, battery storage and developing renewables technology.

Alongside it, of course, is the decommissioning process where Richard says they have “decades of work ahead”.

The latest estimate was another 70 years at least which will have to be carried out alongside any new developments.

Richard said new nuclear plants were very different to Chapelcross and he believed it still had its part to play in meeting the nation’s energy needs.

The Scottish Greens, though, are happy to see it take on a different role.

“Turning the site into a green energy hub is a great opportunity,” said the party’s Laura Moodie.

“It means clean power, good jobs, and a real step towards tackling the climate crisis.

“Repurposing old sites for renewables, especially if done alongside training and supporting local workers, is exactly the kind of forward thinking Scotland needs.”

The details of exactly what it means are still being fine-tuned.

Graeme Anderson, the chief executive of CX Power, strategic developer of the green energy hub plans, said they were still at an “early and exciting stage”.

“Our focus right now is on developing ideas, building strong relationships, and working closely with the local community and stakeholders to understand what matters most to them and where opportunities lie,” he said.

They hope that can deliver “real, long-term benefits” for the whole of the region on a site which pioneered nuclear power in Scotland.