A MAJOR project to clad the reactor buildings at Bradwell Power Station ahead of its decommissioning has been completed.

The move is the biggest transformation to the appearance of the station since it was constructed in the 1950s.

The two main reactor buildings have been shrouded in aluminium cladding with more than 28,000 individual fittings used.

Site operator Magnox originally said the plant would be completely decommissioned by 2015 but it is now likely to be in 2019.

In December the company admitted work is not “as far advanced” as expected and would continue beyond its “initial ambitious target”.

The power station stopped generating electricity in March 2002, after running for 40 years.

Closure Director, Scott Raish, said: “Preparing for an 80 year care and maintenance period often means building things as well as demolishing them.

“This is the biggest construction project we will undertake and completing it safely is a huge step towards our end goal of closing this phase of decommissioning.”

The project was undertaken by Magnox and its partner Vinci Construction with more than 900 individuals employed to work on the site since 2012.

Magnox has now created a film to explain the conclusion of the project.

Senior Site Engineer Ken Ellingford, said: “Having worked at Bradwell for more than 30 years, I’m delighted to have been involved in a project that has totally transformed the look of the site.

“We have taken worn and ageing buildings constructed in the 1950s and given them a fresh new look that the site team and the community can be proud of.”

The cladding will stay in place until the end of the 80 year care and maintenance process which is likely to begin in 2019 when waste processing is completed.

The completion of the project has seen 690 tonnes of scaffolding and two large tower cranes removed.