Wylfa is seeking a new home for 5 ageing back-up
generators whose illustrious cousin, the Rolls-Royce
Proteus Gas Turbine Generator, famously powered Donald
Campbell’s Bluebird CN7 as it smashed the world land
speed record in 1964.
The first 4 generators, each capable of 3MW output,
provided essential standby electricity in the event
that normal supplies were lost.
In 1983, a fifth Proteus turbine was installed to
provide additional power to Wylfa’s Secondary Dry Store
Cells, used to hold spent nuclear fuel after being
removed from the reactors.
They were believed to be the last remaining Proteus Gas
Turbines in use anywhere in the world but, after 47
years of faithful service, they were stood down on 20
January 2018.
When electricity generation at Wylfa ended in 2015 the
site’s Electrical Overlay System was capable of
providing back-up electricity supplies and there was no
further need for the gas turbines.
The Proteus engine has a distinguished history: having
seen naval service in fast torpedo boats, powered the
Bluebird CN7 car used by Donald Campbell to break the
world land speed record in 1964, powered cross-channel
hovercraft until 2000 and provided essential supplies
to Magnox’s Oldbury Power Station in Gloucestershire.
The gas turbines will be disconnected and all potential
hazards removed, such as oils and batteries, before the
asset disposals team sets about finding them a new
home.
