alternatehistory.com

When the British nuclear weapons program was (re)started after WW2, the initial thinking was for a graphite moderated, water cooled plutonium-production pile of 300 MW(t) output, similar to the US facility at Hanford. Two sites were identified as suitable on remoteness grounds for production piles: Arisaig in the Scottish Highlands and Harlech (IMHO probably actualy Llanbedr airfield) in Snowdonia.

Harlech was rejected out of hand on the grounds of population and historic importance, then site studies found Arisaig to be an ideal site in every way except for being so remote that an additional two years would be needed to build the plants.

At this point, a safer air cooled reactor was proposed - since convection would suffice to cool the reactor, there was no danger of a loss-of-coolant accident and the piles could be located much closer to settlements. This allowed the reactors - now two of 200 MW(t) each - to be built at ROF Windscale.

This suggests a few what-ifs:
  1. What if a Hanford-style water-cooled reactor was built at the Harlech site?
  2. What if the air-cooled reactor was rejected on technical grounds, forcing the selection of Arisaig despite its' disadvantages?
  3. What if Harlech had been selected in the first instance, then the air-cooled reactor design emerged as a safer option after the site was committed?
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