Bradwell make it ‘snap-pea’ thanks to veggie power!
Everyday vegetables have helped a nuclear site in Essex to stay safe and save money.
Despite now being in a period of ‘care and maintenance’, Magnox’s Bradwell Site is still inspected on an annual basis to ensure vital systems remain in a safe state.
But with no ‘active’ work taking place on the site most of the buildings have been cut off from mains power since 2018, meaning diesel generators are used to provide electricity for lighting and equipment when inspections happen.
But the most recent inspections saw diesel power swapped for veggie power – in the form of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) - a new superior type of biodiesel made from recycled waste biological materials, making it one of the cleanest, greenest fuels on the market.
“Using HVO reduces CO2 emissions by around 90 per cent and particulate emissions by 80 per cent; so less greenhouse gases and cleaner air for us to breathe,” said Sohail Ashraf, Bradwell Site Director.
“It is also recycled, biodegradable and non-toxic with no negative impact on the performance of the generators.
“By using the HVO generators we were also able to charge batteries and reduce running times, this increased efficiency reduced environmental emissions even further and meant we saved over £17,000 in fuel costs during the work.
“And we were also able to complete this year’s inspections a week ahead of schedule.”
“Sustainability means balancing financial, environmental and human needs in order to protect our planet for current and future generations, and this simple switch ticks all these boxes meaning it is a really sustainable innovation.”