The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has overseen the completion of defuelling of one of the reactors at Hinkley Point B power station.
The EDF-operated site in Somerset has now finished the key milestone of defuelling Reactor 4 and similar work is due to start on the station’s second reactor (Reactor 3).
The nuclear fuel removed from the reactors will be safely transported by rail to Sellafield in Cumbria for storage.
Throughout the defuelling stage, ONR will continue to regulate the site with a clear focus on post operations, when nuclear plants should move seamlessly into cleanout, decommissioning and dismantling.
Hinkley Point B was the first of the UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors and moved into its defuelling phase in August 2022 after 46 years of electricity generation.
Once the power station is fuel-free, the nuclear site licence will then be transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for its subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services to carry out decommissioning work.
Fuel-free verification is when all of the spent fuel has been certified as being removed from the site.
Mike Webb, ONR’s Head of Operating Reactors Sub-Division, said: “Since Hinkley Point B ceased generating, our inspectors have been focused on regulating the defuelling phase of the station.
“Defuelling is the process of safely removing the spent nuclear fuel from the reactors, which removes the vast majority of the radioactive hazard.
“We will continue to effectively and efficiently regulate the Hinkley Point B site throughout the entire defuelling and decommissioning phase to ensure the licensee complies with all regulations to safeguard workers and the public.”
ONR has also received an application from EDF to decommission Hinkley Point B and is inviting comments and feedback from all stakeholders on the environmental statement to help inform our decision on the application.
Please visit our public consultation page to view the environmental statement and for further details about the consultation and how to respond to it.