Bradwell Nuclear Power Station in Essex. Construction of Bradwell power station began in December 1957 and electricity generation started in 1962. It had two Magnox reactors producing 242 megawatts (MW) net electrical in total. On a typical day it could

Bradwell Nuclear Power Station in Essex. Construction of Bradwell power station began in December 1957 and electricity generation started in 1962. It had two Magnox reactors producing 242 megawatts (MW) net electrical in total. On a typical day it could supply enough electricity to meet the needs of three towns the size of Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend put together. The reactors were supplied by The Nuclear Power Group (TNPG) and the turbines by C.A. Parsons and Company. In 1966, twenty natural uranium fuel rods were stolen from Bradwell. Bradwell was built on the edge of a former World War II airfield, one and a half miles from the Essex coastline. Its location was deliberately chosen as the land had minimal agricultural value, offered easy access, was geologically sound and had an unlimited source of cooling water from the North Sea. In 1999, it was announced that the station would cease operation in 2002 - the first UK station to be closed on a planned basis. On 28 March 200. (Photo by Steven Allen/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)