EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point B nuclear power plant, in Somerset, England. (Photo: EDF Energy)
The U.K. government’s Office for Nuclear Regulation has granted EDF Energy formal consent to decommission the Hinkley Point B nuclear power plant in Somerset, England. The two-unit advanced gas-cooled reactor was permanently shut down in August 2022, and site owner EDF applied to ONR for decommissioning consent in August 2024.
First connected to the U.K. power grid in February 1976, Hinkley Point B generated 311 terawatt-hours of electricity by EDF estimates during its 46 years of service—enough to meet the needs of every home in the United Kingdom for almost three years or every home in the southwest of England for 33 years.
Since closing, the defueling of one unit has been completed while defueling of the other unit is ongoing. Following defueling, ownership of Hinkley Point B will transfer to Nuclear Restoration Services, a subsidiary of the U.K.’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Currently, NRS is responsible for decommissioning 13 sites across the U.K., including the first generation of nuclear and research sites.
According to EDF, formal handover of the site to NRS is expected in 2027.
Environmental review: The decision by ONR comes after a public consultation and a detailed assessment by the regulator of EDF’s environmental statement for the proposed decommissioning project. That statement concluded that the only significant adverse environmental effects would be a temporary reduction in the visual and landscape quality for people living near the plant and the socioeconomic impacts resulting from workers losing their jobs during certain phases of decommissioning. ONR judged these conclusions to be “robust and justified.”
ONR said it “is satisfied that the environmental statement proposes adequate mitigation measures to address the adverse environmental impacts of the decommissioning project and considers the statement to be complete, of the right quality, and in line with relevant good practice.”
Both the published project assessment report, which provides an overview of ONR’s decision, and the public consultation response, are available to view.
Quote: “After careful assessment and public consultation, we are satisfied that EDF’s decommissioning plans for Hinkley Point B include appropriate measures to protect people and the environment,” said Dan Hasted, ONR director of regulation, Operating Facilities Directorate. “We will continue to proportionately regulate the Hinkley Point B site throughout the decommissioning phase to ensure the licensee complies with applicable legislation to safeguard workers and the public.”
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