World's oldest nuclear plant to close down

The oldest civilian nuclear reactor in the world will stop generating electricity next February after 44 years because it would not be economically viable to continue, it was announced yesterday.

The nuclear power station at Oldbury in Gloucestershire has been generating electricity since 1967. Operators Magnox and site owners the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said Oldbury will move through a transition period before decommissioning begins.

Phil Sprague, Oldbury site director, said: "Oldbury's excellent generation history is a terrific success story, especially as the site was originally planned to close in 2008.

"Oldbury has provided the UK with a vital source of power for over four decades, something that everyone who has worked at the site, past and present, should be very proud of."