 |
 |
 |
Dungeness and Dungeness Power Station
|
|
In 1965 the first nuclear power station at this site , Dungeness A, was in operation; by 1983 Dungeness B, an advanced gas cooled reactor was producing power for homes, schools and factories. On a typical day, the power stations now produce 30 million kilowatt hours of electricity – enough to power the whole of South East England.
|
Surrounded by a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which extends to land within the perimeter fence of the station, the Power Station is very aware of the needs for environmental protection and complies with all statutory requirements, as well as enhancing environmental awareness through active involvement of staff and public.
In conjunction with English Nature, nature trails allow controlled access to the shingle ridges, and herbicides are no longer used, so that wildlife is conserved. Built on Dungeness, the Power Stations are on the largest surface area of shingle in Europe -some 12km by 6km in extent. This great mass of shingle ridges has taken more than 5,000 years to develop. Some 100,000 cubic metres of stones are carried round Dungeness Point every year, creating a ’ness’, nose, or cuspate foreland.
Wave action from the SW carries shingle eastward; erosion of shingle on the south shore threatens to undermine the power stations, so it is necessary for a great fleet of lorries to constantly carry the shingle, built up on the eastern shore of the foreland, back to the western side. From here it is washed by sea action, round the point again, ready to be picked up and transported again...and again...and again.
|
|
Water circulation |
| The water returning to the sea is about 12°C warmer, and emerges in upwellings or patches which attract many birds seeking food and roosting sites. |
|
