I have been informed by a fairly reliable source that the second concrete plinth at Hartlepool WILL be used for a second Power Station. Now that the government has finally realised that Nuclear is the only reasonable option going forward they are just about to release a white paper outlining where/when the new sites are to go. Hartlepool Power station was due to be phased out between 2013/2017, but the new one should be up and running in time for a clean handover.

The second concrete base was put down at the same time as the first and is almost right next to it.

A concrete base for a power station that might be built over 30 years in the future?
They do realise designs change in that time, don't they? It's highly unlikely they will build the same generation of AGR as last time. So will the base fit?
Or will the chance to build an optimum design go by the board because the base isn't right?

I actually think (although I could be wrong) that due to design improvements and increased technology over the period the size of the stations are reducing, so the slab might well be oversized?

Depends on which technology they go for. Seaton is small as far as nukes go. I've seen a lot of them. PWRs are more spread out and less high. BWRs are a bit more compact because there's one less heat transfer circuit but the containment building is basically the same size. Pebble beds are gas cooled and probably comparable in size to AGRs, but surely they'd want a bigger reactor than the one that's already there?
Or maybe they just put a whopping great slab down to cater for something bigger.

I guess they know what they're doing though. And nothing's stopping them extending the slab.

It cerfainly won't be another AGR as I think they are all but obsolete now. As this could well be further down the development line I would not be suprised to see something along the lines of the much talked about super critical types, who knows if funding comes into line Hartlepool could well be one of the first to get the next generation reactor.

The EU has a nuclear strategy. The first EPR will go into service 2011-2012. A rapid neutron reactor will be built by 2020. The UK may decide to deviate from this strategy, I'm not sure. I have information but not from the UK side.
The IAEA conference starts tomorrow and I just happen to have a copy of the address that a very important nuclear country will be making to the conference!

Don't worry. It's on the agenda, second day.

Oooooo I want a read

Jobsworth mate. In fact with my being freelance it could even lead to prosecution!

But you'll no doubt be able to read all the addresses on the IAEA site in a coupl'o days.

http://www.iaea.org/About/Policy/GC/GC50/index.html

I'll go and look for my anorak.......