DEMOLITION OF CHAPELCROSS COOLING TOWERS

That this House notes the demolition on Sunday 20th May of the cooling towers at Chapelcross Power Station, which have dominated the skyline of lower Annandale for half a century, and congratulates all those involved in carrying out safely this momentous task; further notes that Chapelcross was the longest-serving nuclear power station in the world when it ceased power generation on 29th June 2004, having provided a safe and reliable supply of electricity since 1959, producing enough electricity to power 15 million homes for a year, or all the homes in Dumfries and Galloway for almost 200 years; further recognises the engineering and scientific accomplishments in the designing, building and operating of Chapelcross and its sister station at Calder Hall in Cumbria; and further notes the opportunities now available for Chapelcross to become a centre of excellence for nuclear decommissioning.