OLDBURY nuclear power station, which was due to close down in 2008, will continue to generate electricity until 2012.

Oldbury Power Station has had its life extended twice but the new extension will be the final one.

One of the station's reactors is due to close on June 30 but the other reactor will continue to operate, Magnox, the company which owns the site, has confirmed.

Magnox said it had undertaken extra safety checks as part of the plan to continue running the second reactor.

Phil Sprague, the plant's director, said the station and equipment were in good condition.

"We have worked hard with each of our regulators and they have no objection to extended generation," he said.

"We are pleased that this work has been successful and that we will continue to contribute to the country's electricity supply as we have done for the last 43 years."

Reactor 1 at Oldbury could generate electricity until the end of 2012, using up all the available fuel produced for the site. It was originally scheduled to close at the end of 2008 but has successfully been extended on two occasions. Magnox says this will be the last extenstion before decommissioning takes place on the site.

Brian Burnett, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s programme director, said Oldbury’s continued generation was good news for them and the community.

"The income generated over the extension period will support our clean-up mission, including decommissioning at other Magnox sites," said Mr Burnett. "I would like to thank Magnox for all the work they have done to help make this happen."

In the same week Oldbury Power Station was given the news that 32 hectares of land at the site has been successfully removed from nulcear regulation. It is the largest single portion of land to be delicensed in the UK in one go and includes the site’s popular nature trail as well as the former visitors centre.

It means that the land will be much easier to re-use in the future and leaves only half the site still under nuclear regulation.