Document Details

BNFLAn Obituary
Author:	Allday, CBE, Con
Co-Author(s):

In the beginning, BNFL was created in 1971 out of the former Production Group of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). And in the end, the award of the contract for operation of the Sellafield site to the consortium Nuclear Management Partners and the stripping of virtually all of its assets seals the fate of BNFL. In its heyday, British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) was a major player in the world's nuclear fuel cycle industry and sole supplier of fuel cycle services to the domestic electricity utilities which supplied up to a quarter of the UK's electricity from their nuclear plants. The Company was a partner with German and Dutch companies in establishment of URENCO as a major supplier of enriched uranium and a partner with the French company COGEMA in the development and commercial exploitation of reprocessing technology. BNFL was also a recipient of the Queen's Award to Industry for its export achievements. All these, coupled with a remarkable financial success in terms of profits ploughed back into renovation and expansion, together with substantial dividends paid to the UK taxpayer, entitles BNFL to be proud of its past contribution to the development of the UK's nuclear power industry and technological heritage. The demise seems to have been brought about by a deliberate Government policy to wind down the Company and raise as much money as possible by selling off its assets and goodwill rather than strengthen it through a Public Private Partnership as originally envisaged for BNFL and which is a pattern now being followed by the French. Another milestone in our industrial decline is passed and, apart from those who played a part in BNFL's birth and fantastic growth and achievements, few tears are being shed.

ISBN:
Price:	£21.28 (£21.28 inc.)
Add to Basket