Tour of Dungeness B Nuclear Power Station

[Mike Farley]

I mentioned this tour in my post on Paul Heester's photo a week thread. Although photography is not allowed due to security reasons, it could be of interest when combined with a trip to take advantage of the other sights in the area where there are no photographic restrictions.

There are some points to be aware of:

• Tours take place between 09:00 - 16:00 on weekdays
• Photographic id, preferably a passport, will be required to gain access
• Visitors will be subject to a security clearance process, which is more extended for foreign nationals
• The tour takes one hour and there are some stairs and confined spaces, so might not be suitable for those with walking difficulties
• Tours have to be booked at least two weeks in advance
• Besides cameras, other items such as mobile phones, video recorders and weapons (!) are not allowed on the site

Quite obviously, safety of visitors, staff and the local community is of paramount concern and the site is operated accordingly, so the risks should be minimal.

Anyone interested?

http://www.edfenergy.com/about-us/energ ... tres.shtml

[Peter Boughton]

My hands are weapons, would they need to be chopped off?


In response to David's post on the other topic:

Dungeness is on my list too and I'd DEFINITELY be interested in a tour of a nuclear power plant! Surely we can take photos of the cooling towers etc. from outside the restricted site?

I don't remember there being cooling towers at Dungeness - certainly not traditional looking ones - but yes you can walk around the outside of the enclosure. On the beach side the shingle is high enough to take photos over the wall - though obviously composition is limited compared to if you were able to walk freely inside the compound.

There are actually two power stations on the site - the EDF tour is for Dungeness B (the active one). There's also a decommissioned Dungeness A which - from a photographic perspective - would probably be just as interesting. However, since there is still one other active Magnox reactor (same type as Dungeness A) in the UK, I'd guess restrictions would still apply.

[davidc]

I thought the ginormous cooling towers would be present on a nuclear site too but a bit of research has shown that isn't the case

[Mike Farley]

My hands are weapons, would they need to be chopped off?

Definitely!

In response to David's post on the other topic:

Dungeness is on my list too and I'd DEFINITELY be interested in a tour of a nuclear power plant! Surely we can take photos of the cooling towers etc. from outside the restricted site?

I don't remember there being cooling towers at Dungeness - certainly not traditional looking ones - but yes you can walk around the outside of the enclosure. On the beach side the shingle is high enough to take photos over the wall - though obviously composition is limited compared to if you were able to walk freely inside the compound.

There are actually two power stations on the site - the EDF tour is for Dungeness B (the active one). There's also a decommissioned Dungeness A which - from a photographic perspective - would probably be just as interesting. However, since there is still one other active Magnox reactor (same type as Dungeness A) in the UK, I'd guess restrictions would still apply.

My understanding is that Dungeness A is still going through the decommissioning process, which takes several years and is one of the reasons used by those who are against generating power this way. I would imagine that a partially dismantled nuclear power plant is not a good place to visit and a number of additional precautions would be necessary for those working there.

This admittedly rather poor shot taken on my last visit to Dungeness shows the power station in the background behind the lighthouse.

[davidc]

I like the road forming a leading line into the shot and the diagonal of the telephone cable. A more interesting sky would be useful though and the bright white hut is a distraction at the edge of the frame.

[Mike Farley]

I like the road forming a leading line into the shot and the diagonal of the telephone cable. A more interesting sky would be useful though and the bright white hut is a distraction at the edge of the frame.

OK, you have appreciated what I was trying to achieve. This is one of those extremely rare occasions when I did not quite manage to pull it off.

[Mike Farley]

I have just found a better view of the power station complex. I await Dave's critique.

[davidc]

I'd have preferred to see it in infra-red and/or with Wally's hand placed in a prominent location.

[Peter Boughton]

Could easily edit him in as a waving lighthouse keeper?

My understanding is that Dungeness A is still going through the decommissioning process...

Yeah, it wont be finished for about another 80 years, though I thought it was further along than it is.

I looked up the details and it stopped generating power in 2006, was defueled from 2007-2012, and is now undergoing "hazard reduction activities". The buildings are planned to be removed in 2027, and then it's 50-60 years before it is fully closed.

I would imagine that a partially dismantled nuclear power plant is not a good place to visit...

Well, most things are more interesting when you start to take them apart.

Of course, interesting doesn't necessarily mean safe.

[Nina]

I'd have preferred to see it in infra-red and/or with Wally's hand placed in a prominent location.

Yep, I agree what is missing is Wally's hand!