Springfields: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Nuclear site in Lancashire, England}}

{{for|the British folk/pop group featuring [[Dusty Springfield]]|The Springfields}}

{{for-multi|the British folk/pop group featuring Dusty Springfield|The Springfields|the fictional power plant in ''The Simpsons''|Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|the shopping centre|Springfields Outlet Shopping & Leisure|the theme park|Springfields Fun Park}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox factory

| name = Springfields

| image = Westinghouse Factory (BNF) on Deepdale Lane (geograph 6064540).jpg

|image=

| caption = View from Deepdale Lane

| built = 1940 (as munitions factory); 1946 (as nuclear fuels facility)

| ___location = [[Salwick]], [[Lancashire]], England

| location_map = Lancashire

|coordinates coordinates = {{coord|53|46|39|N|2|48|29|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| industry = [[Nuclear fuel]]

| products = [[Nuclear_fuelNuclear fuel#Oxide_fuelOxide fuel|oxide fuels]]; [[uranium hexafluoride]]

| employees= 1,700 (in 2002) = 800<ref name=Themanufacturer>{{cite web|title=The ManufacturerLegal|url=httphttps://damiswestinghousenuclear.venus.co.ukcom/ukuknuclear/profileabout/459legal/BNFL_UK_Fuel_Business|workaccessdate=10 December 2024}}</ref>

| architect= =

BNFL UK Fuel Business, Heart of the furnace|accessdate=16 December 2011}}</ref>

| style= =

|architect=

| area =

|style=

| volume= =

|area=

| address = Springfields Fuels Limited, Westinghouse, Springfields, Salwick, Preston PR4 0XJ

|volume=

| defunct =

|address= Springfields Fuels Limited, Westinghouse, Springfields, Salwick, Preston PR4 0XJ

|defunct=

}}

'''Springfields''' is a [[nuclear fuel|nuclear fuel production installation]] in [[Salwick]], near [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] in [[Lancashire]], [[England]] ({{gbmapping|SD468315}}). The site is currently operated by Springfields Fuels Limited, under the management of [[Westinghouse Electric Company|Westinghouse Electric UK Limited]], on a 150-year lease from the [[Nuclear Decommissioning Authority]].<ref name=independent-20170330>{{cite news |url=httphttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/westinghouse-bankruptcy-is-the-future-of-uk-nuclear-power-in-uk-doubt-toshiba-a7658001.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/westinghouse-bankruptcy-is-the-future-of-uk-nuclear-power-in-uk-doubt-toshiba-a7658001.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Westinghouse bankruptcy: Is the future of nuclear power in the UK in doubt? |first=Ben |last=Chapman |newspaper=The Independent |date=30 March 2017 |accessdate=31 March 2017}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=westinghouse>{{cite web|title=Westinghouse|url=http://www.nuclearsites.co.uk/page.php?pageID=85|work=Westinghouse website on nuclear sites|accessdate=16 December 2011}}</ref> Fuel products are produced for the [[Nuclear_power_in_the_United_KingdomNuclear power in the United Kingdom#Power_stationsPower stations|UK’sUK's nuclear power stations]] and for international customers.<ref name=nei-20200507>{{cite news |url=https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featurespringfields-what-next-7911185/ |title=Springfields: what next? |publisher=Nuclear Engineering International |date=7 May 2020 |access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref>

==Activities on the site==

The site has been making [[nuclear fuel]]s 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 ([[Sellafield#Calder_Hall_nuclear_power_stationCalder Hall nuclear power station|Calder Hall]]).<ref name="westinghouse"/><ref name=nei-20200507/>

The four main activities carried out on the site are:<ref name=westinghousenuclear-2014>{{cite web |url=http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/Portals/2/Documents/Brochure%20Nuclear_Leaflet_04.pdf |title=Nuclear Fuel Manufacture at Springfields |publisher=Wesinghouse |year=2014 |format=PDF brochure |accessdate=2 April 2017}}</ref><ref name=nei-20200507/>

*Production of oxide fuels for [[Advanced gas-cooled reactor|advanced gas-cooled]] and [[light water reactor]]s, as well as intermediate fuel products ([[uranium dioxide]] powders, granules, and pellets)

*Production of [[uranium hexafluoride]], or "hex"

*Processing of [[Nuclear fuel cycle|fuel-cycle]] residues

*[[Nuclear decommissioning|Decommissioning]] and demolition of redundant plants and buildings<ref name="westinghouse"/>

At its peak the site employed 4000 people, but reduced demand and increased automation saw this fall to about 800 by 2020.<ref name=nei-20200507/>

In December 2022 Westinghouse received a £13&nbsp;million grant from the UK government to explore the development of Uranium Conversion Services at the site.<ref>{{cite web |title=Westinghouse Receives UK Government Grant to Explore Uranium Conversion Services |url=https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/news/westinghouse-beis-award}}</ref>

==Protests==

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==

Manufacture is scheduled to continue until 2023. Decommissioning activities have so far resulted in 87 buildings on the site having been fully demolished.<ref name=nda>{{cite web|title=Nuclear Decommissioning Agency|url=http://www.nda.gov.uk/sites/springfields|work=Decommissioning at Springfields site|accessdate=16 December 2011}}</ref> A Clean Energy Technology Park (CETP) has been set up to encourage new companies to operate on the site.<ref name=nei-20200507/>

==References==

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{{Nuclear power in the United Kingdom}}

{{Borough of Fylde buildings}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Chemical plants of the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:FyldeBorough (borough)of Fylde]]

[[Category:Nuclear energyresearch institutes in the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:Nuclear researchtechnology institutesin the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:Nuclear technology]]

[[Category:Organisations based in Lancashire]]

[[Category:ResearchNuclear institutesweapons ininfrastructure of the United Kingdom]]