Photograph taken by Central Office of Information photographer at the opening of the Wylfa Nuclear Power Station in 1972.
The Central Electricity Generating Board's Magnox power station at Wylfa, was built in 1963 and designed to fit in with the landscape (a comprehensive landscaping scheme was was undertaken in which 100ft high artificial hills were constructed using excavated material). The main station building consisted of two reactor blocks linked by a common services building and the central control room. The fuelling and servicing machines were interchangeable between the reactors. The station used a dry store in which the irradiated fuel was stacked in nests of tubes filled with dry CO2 externally cooled by air. It had a capacity of 840 MW, and was the eighth and last first-generation Magnox station to be built by the CEGB. The station was officially opened in May 1972.
The power station was due to be decommissioned in 2010, but at that time the date was extended to 2012, beyond Wylfa's 40th anniversary. After recent announcements, itis set to continue generating electricity until 2014.
In the meantime, the Japanese company Hitachiaims to build a new £8bn nuclear power station at Wylfa. Reference: COI photographs and notes, dated c. 1972. BBC News website accessed 30/10/2012
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