Sellafield’s Calder Hall turns 70 as decommissioning gathers pace

Saturday 17 October 2026 marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II opened Calder Hall. This was the world’s first nuclear power station to provide domestic electricity.

Queen Elizabeth II opening Calder Hall in 1956.

It ushered in a new era of clean energy and secured Sellafield’s place at the heart of Britain’s nuclear industry.

Calder Hall on the Sellafield site when it was an operating nuclear power station.

Seven decades later, its legacy lives on through skills, jobs, investment and expertise.

Sellafield Ltd health physics monitor at Calder Hall.

Calder Hall stopped generating electricity in 2003. But its story didn’t end there.

Energy Minister, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Michael Shanks said:

Since Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II first opened Calder Hall, nuclear power has helped keep the lights on for millions of Britons.

70 years on, the UK is driving forward the next generation of nuclear power through sites like Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C, which will deliver clean, secure and homegrown energy while creating thousands of skilled jobs across the country.

Calder Hall control room during the facility's operational years.

Calder Hall changed the world when it opened in 1956. It pioneered civil nuclear power. It helped establish West Cumbria at the centre of the industry. It continues to play an important role today.

Seventy years later, our responsibility is different. We are safely decommissioning the station and reducing hazards.

This creates space we need to support Sellafield’s future mission. With space at a premium on the site, this is crucial to ensuring we can continue to deliver for the country.

Demolition work at Calder Hall on the Sellafield site.

David Peattie, Group CEO, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), said:

Calder Hall helped put Britain at the forefront of nuclear power. Seventy years later the site continues to deliver for the nation.