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JoHN Hill
1921–2008
elected in 1976
“For leadership in all phases of the British nuclear energy program and the
promotion of international cooperation in nuclear energy undertakings.”
By coN allday
sUBMiTTed By THe Nae HoMe secreTary
s ir JoHN Mcgregor Hill died on January 14, 2008, at
the age of 86, after two successful careers as both a physicist and
a businessman. The first was in the Royal Air Force working
on the perfection of radar. He left the RAF in 1946 as a flight
lieutenant. His second and major career was in atomic energy,
where he made a major contribution to the development of
nuclear power as a commercial source of electricity in the
United Kingdom. He became chairman of the United Kingdom
Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at the age of 46 and of its
industrial offshoots British Nuclear fuels plc and amersham
international ltd., a radio isotope pharmaceutical company, a
few years later.
sir John was born in chester, england, on february 21, 1921;
was educated in Richmond, Surrey; and was awarded a first-
class degree in physics at Kings College, London University,
and later a Ph.d. at the cavendish laboratory, in cambridge.
After five years in the RAF working on the development
of radar and a short spell as a lecturer in physics at london
University, sir John joined the department of atomic energy in
the Ministry of supply and was posted to Windscale, cumbria,
england, where he was involved in the construction and
operation of two air-cooled reactors (piles) for the production
of plutonium. He enjoyed telling the tale that, when he went
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north to risley in lancashire for his recruitment interview, he
spent the previous night in a hotel in Warrington and enjoyed
a convivial evening with other guests only to discover the
following morning that he was facing them as his interview
panel!
in 1954 the department of atomic energy became the
UKAEA, comprising three groups—The Weapons Group
based at aldermaston, Buckinghamshire; the research group
based at Harwell, oxfordshire; and the industrial group based
at risley, lancashire. sir John quickly made his mark and
when the manufacturing activities were split off to form the
Production group he progressed up the hierarchy to become
managing director. Then on appointment to the Main Board of
the UKAEA as member for production, he became chairman of
the group with all the fuel-cycle facilities under his wing—that
is, uranium purification from yellow cake and manufacture
of fuel elements, both uranium metal and uranium oxide at
Springfields, Lancashire; enrichment of uranium hexafluoride
for both defense and civilian use at capenhurst, cheshire;
reprocessing of spent fuel and production of plutonium at
Windscale (subsequently renamed Sellafield), Cumbria, and
the Magnox reactors at calder Hall, cumbria, and chapel
cross, dumfriesshire. The latter, although built primarily for
production of plutonium, produced the first commercially
sold electricity from nuclear power in the world.
The cutback in defense requirements in the United Kingdom
for both enriched uranium and plutonium in the early 1960s
created difficulties for the Production Group. Highly enriched
uranium production in the diffusion plant at capenhurst and
short-term irradiation of fuel in the calder Hall and chapel
cross reactors for production of plutonium were curtailed.
The group recognized the need to become more commercial
in its civilian activities, and sir John and colleagues set about
the task of changing the culture of the group and getting away
from its civil service past and enforced secrecy. They created a
cadre of sales personnel from within the company who were
both technically competent and flexible. Sir John had earlier
already launched himself into commercial and sales activities
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JoHN Hill
through negotiation of the supply of fuel for the British-built
Magnox reactors in latina, italy, and Tokai Mura, Japan. in
both instances he established himself as an honest and capable
negotiator who could be trusted, and he consequently won the
admiration and friendship of both customers. similarly, when
contractual relationships with the U.K. Central Electricity
generating Board and south scotland electricity Board for
supply of fuel services were negotiated, sir John followed the
same pattern.
in 1961 the group became British Nuclear fuels ltd. (BNfl)
with 100 percent government ownership but with provision for
the introduction of up to 49 percent of private equity capital. sir
John, who by that time had become Chairman of the UKAEA,
played a major part in the negotiations with government and
succeeded, remarkably, in achieving a high degree of financial
independence for the new company by having it excluded from
the public-sector borrowing requirement, which meant the
new company was not dependent on an annual parliamentary
vote for its financing and was free to raise capital on the
London financial market and from the European Union. This
made it independent of government financing and, therefore,
from day-to-day treasury control.
BNfl became extremely successful and returned
substantial dividends to the government and additions to its
capital value. However, the company faced increasing public
hostility stemming from activities of environmental and
antinuclear organizations. anthony Wedgwood Benn, who in
Harold Wilson’s cabinet was secretary of state for technology,
had been politically enthusiastically pronuclear, but later
as secretary of state for energy was responsible for both the
UKAEA and BNFL and became positively antinuclear. This
was probably an act of political opportunism aimed at wooing
the green antinuclear left wing of the labour Party. despite
all the evidence and statistics to the contrary, he continued to
maintain publicly that nuclear power was “too expensive, too
dangerous and too environmentally unfriendly.” opponents
also continually alleged that the company was shrouded in
secrecy. While secrecy had stemmed from the defense era, sir
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John changed the practice early on. in a press statement on the
formation of BNFL, he said, “We are no longer a secret business.
Of course, we have to have commercial confidentiality as
does any other enterprise dealing in new technology, but we
will be open as to what we are doing, what precautions and
standards we work to protect our workers and the public and
we will not hide any faults which occur in our operations.”
He commented that “the gulf between us and the public is
extraordinary. They’re concerned about dangers that don’t
worry us while we are concerned about dangers which don’t
worry them.” The allegations of secrecy persisted long after
Sir John’s period in office.
sir John retired as chairman of BNfl in 1983, and his
successor carried on his policy of business expansion and
creation of a realistic competitive culture throughout the
company. His ambition of achieving private participation up
to the 49 percent permitted in the company’s constitution was,
however, never realized.
in the 1990s there was a major change in government
policy. The company was deprived of its assets, many of
which were sold to overseas companies, and the company was
progressively run down to become a mere shell. BNfl, which
had grown from its initial capitalization of £33 million to a
company worth several billion, became a nonentity.
When in 1967 sir John, at the age of 46, a top-level physicist,
and an acute businessman, was appointed to follow lord
Penny, father of the British atomic bombs, as chairman of the
UKAEA, it represented recognition that the role of the authority
had changed from being essentially a defense organization
to being at the forefront of establishing commercial nuclear
electricity production in the United Kingdom. When the U.K.-
designed advanced gas cooled reactor (agr) program
faltered, he strongly advocated adoption of the steam
generating Heavy Water reactor (sgHWr) and continued
development of fast breeder reactors. Bedeviled by intense
disloyalty of successive deputy chairmen, the divided opinions
of industry regarding reactor choice, persistent antinuclear
propaganda, and frequent changes in secretaries of state and
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JoHN Hill
their top civil servants responsible for energy policy, sir John
remained calm and determined.
Ultimately, however, recognizing that native reactor types
would not survive in the world market, he took the brave
decision to tell Wedgwood Benn that development work on
both the fast reactor and sgHWr should be halted. Benn was
not pleased.
a pressurized water reactor designed by Westinghouse
was chosen as the United Kingdom’s next reactor installation.
Because of world reaction to chernobyl and lack of government
support, no further reactor stations have been built in the
United Kingdom. Sir John commented: “It does not matter
how well you build nuclear power stations if the public won’t
let you build them.” However, the tide is turning now, and it is
recognized in the United Kingdom that more nuclear stations
must be built to secure future energy supplies.
At the same time as BNFL was formed out of the UKAEA’s
Production group, the amersham radio chemical centre,
operated by research group Harwell, became amersham
international ltd., with sir John continuing as chairman
until 1988. like BNfl, this proved to be a very successful
enterprise.
Sir John retired as chairman of UKAEA in 1981 and
subsequently, in semiretirement was chairman of rea Brothers
group and aurora Holdings.
sir John received many accolades recognizing his achieve-
ments and remarkable career: Knight Bachelor; Chevalier La
Legion d’Honneur; fellow, royal society; fellow, royal society
of arts; fellow, royal academy of engineering; fellow, insti-
tute of Physics; fellow, institute of energy; fellow, institute of
chemical engineers; fellow, institute of electrical engineers;
Melchett Medal, institute of energy; sylvanus Thomson Med-
al, institute of radiology; president, British Nuclear forum;
honorary member, american Nuclear society; honorary doc-
tor, Bradford University; and foreign associate, National acad-
emy of engineering.
sir John was a keen golfer and was captain and president
of the prestigious royal Mid-surrey golf club. He was a keen
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gardener and enjoyed family life with his wife, Nora, and their
two sons and daughter, all of whom survive him.
sir John Hill was a pioneer who made a major contribution
to the development of nuclear power and established the
United Kingdom as one of the world’s leading countries in this
field, particularly in the key fuel-cycle services of enrichment
and reprocessing. it is a great pity that he had to witness the
demolition of this industry by the government during a period
when it became increasingly clear that the future supply of
secure and affordable electricity will depend on it.
sir John was a remarkably sociable, kind, and extremely
competent scientist and businessman who reached the top
posts in his profession.
We pay him tribute.
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