| Winfrith nuclear power station | |
|---|---|
 UKAEA sign | |
 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Location | Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset |
| Coordinates | 50°40′55″N 2°15′40″W / 50.682°N 2.261°W |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Construction began | 1957 |
| Commission date | 1959 |
| Decommission date | 2021 |
| Operator(s) | UKAEA |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | SGHWR |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Nuclear |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 100 MW |
| External links | |
| Website | www |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
grid reference SY815870 | |
Winfrith Atomic Energy Establishment, or AEE Winfrith, was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Winfrith Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the South West Main Line.
Winfrith was set up in order to test a variety of new nuclear reactor designs with the intention of selecting a new design for power generation and other tasks. The main design built at the site was the demonstration steam-generating heavy water reactor (SGHWR) providing power to the National Grid. A number of smaller designs were also constructed at the site.
The site officially opened with the ZENITH reactor in 1960. SGHWR opened in 1967 and was shut down in 1990. All of the reactors have been shut down and are in various stages of removal. The site is now being re-used for other purposes while decommissioning continues.