Heysham Power Stations to feature in new BBC TV series

Heysham power stations are the stars of a new BBC TV series which looks at how the UK gets its electricity and the people behind that power production.
Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan, centre left, and the BBC film crew with Heysham 2 station director Mark Lees, centre right.Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan, centre left, and the BBC film crew with Heysham 2 station director Mark Lees, centre right.
Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan, centre left, and the BBC film crew with Heysham 2 station director Mark Lees, centre right.

The BBC crew, along with presenter Keeley Donovan, spent a year on site and were given access to all areas as they explored the role nuclear plays in providing low carbon electricity for the country.

The 30-minute documentary, which goes out on BBC1 in the north west on Thursday August 20 at 7.30pm, shows Keeley meeting staff on both sites. She was also allowed to turn off a reactor, although only in Heysham 2’s control room training simulator.

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Mark Lees, station director at Heysham 2 power station, said: “We also allowed the crew into our actual control room to film the shutdown of one of our reactors ahead of its statutory maintenance outage which hadn’t happened before.

Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan.Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan.
Powering Britain presenter Keeley Donovan.

“It is great that so many of our people are seen in the programme showing off what they do with a real sense of pride.”

During the show, Keeley also interviews Richard Bradfield, then station director at Heysham 1, while he stands on top of the Heysham 1 reactor.

The crew spend time with sites’ apprentices and graduates, see the work that takes place during a maintenance shutdown and learn about the Civil Nuclear Constabulary’s role at the power stations.

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How the stations have managed to carry on during the pandemic is also discussed as Heysham 2 works safely through its maintenance shutdown. Filming also took place at Springfields where Heysham’s fuel is made.

Mark added: “I have had a sneak preview, and the programme will give viewers a chance to see behind the scenes of these two power stations, but more importantly get to meet some of the amazing people who work here.”

The programme is set to be repeated nationally on BBC2 in late September as part of a four-part series which will also look at gas, biomass and wind power.

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