It seems the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) which owns the site at Wylfa Power Station carried out a feasibility study to see whether it would be possible to extend the plant's life beyond 2010.
After a rigorous analysis the NDA concluded that it would be uneconomic and difficult to achieve an extension to the life of Wylfa Nuclear Power Station.
In coming to this conclusion the NDA looked at the role of Springields, near Preston where the Magnox fuel for the reactor is fabricated, at the generation process at Wylfa and at the end point of fuel reprocessing at Sellafield, Cumbria.
As Springfields has stopped making Magnox fuel and the parts used to making the fuel rods, this would mean having to go to the global market to source a new supply, just for one site and for possibly a few years at the most. Such a programme was considered uneconomical given the various hurdles involved.
At Wylfa Power Station the NDA concluded that there would need to be investment of around $170 million to enhance the reactors as well as to address some safety issue improvements.
At the back end of the cycle, reprocessing at Sellafield, further costs would have been incurred to ensure the proper functioning of the Magnox reprocessing plant and associated facilities.
There are alos issues relating to how such an extension would impact on the overall obligations and targets for decommissioning the Sellafield site.
These recommendations were cleared with the Secretary of State at the DTI. However, while Wylfa's life will not be extended beyond 2010, it will be extended a further nine months to December of that year.
Kedar, I hope this answers your question about an extension for Wylfa beyond 2010.
