Horizon to focus on Hybrid Cooling towers

Email from Tim Proudler, Consents Manager, Oldbury - 8th September 2010

Horizon Nuclear Power to focus its studies on ‘hybrid’ cooling tower designs.

In our July Community Update newsletter we outlined the ongoing studies we are carrying out to help shape our proposals for a new nuclear power station at Oldbury.

We explained that due to the longer time frames for the project we did not expect to carry out any formal pre-application consultation this year, but that we hoped to be in a position to set out our thoughts on one key issue – cooling towers, as we know this has been a concern locally.

The decision on the type of cooling tower is very significant for Horizon and it has been important for us to explore all options for the cooling system for the proposed new power station, not least because we will need to present the main alternatives as part of any future planning application.

While natural draught cooling towers (up to 200m in height) would be the most logical technical choice, they would be much more prominent on the landscape than the main alternative, hybrid cooling tower designs (up to 70m in height).

Our studies on cooling towers (and the overall cooling system) are not yet fully complete, but have progressed sufficiently for us to share our early view which is that the hybrid cooling tower options would be more preferable at this site, with regard to the overall balance of technical, commercial and environmental factors. Three or four such towers would be needed, subject to final plant design.

Hybrid cooling towers are fan-driven, use a combination of ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ cooling and would be more in keeping with the height of the existing Magnox power station reactor building than the natural draught alternatives.

As our studies continue, we will now treat the hybrid as our preferred option. However, we will still include consideration of the natural draught cooling tower within the overall suite of cooling options when we come to carry out our formal pre-application consultation activity.

We will shortly be holding some drop-in events locally where you can find out more about our thinking on the cooling tower options and our general progress on the project.

The drop-in sessions will be held at:

• Monday 4th October at Oldbury Memorial Hall, Memorial Hall, 13 Camp Road, Oldbury-on-Severn, BS35 1PT from 3pm to 9pm.
• Wednesday 6th October at Thornbury Leisure Centre, Severnside Suite, Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, BS35 3JBfrom 3pm to 9pm.
• Thursday 7th October at Woolaston Memorial Hall, Swains Field, Netherend, Woolaston, Gloucestershire, GL15 6NJfrom 3.30pm to 9pm.

We look forward to seeing you at these events but, if you are unable to attend, the information will also be available on our website www.horizonnuclearpower.com and printed copies will be sent to Oldbury Parish Council and the surrounding parishes.

If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact us via our free phone number: 0800 130 3125 or email:oldburyenquiries@horizonnuclearpower.com