EDF has announced it will stop generating power at the Hunterston B nuclear plant in Scotland by January 2022 – at least a year earlier than its previous target – after the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) cleared the first of its two reactors to resume operations for a period of only six months.
Both reactors were taken offline in May 2018 after inspections found fresh cracks in the graphite bricks that make up the core of the first reactor. Although cracks were expected to form as it reached the end of its working life, they were found to be emerging faster than had been predicted.
The second reactor was cleared to resume operations for four months in August 2019 but the first has remained offline for more than two years whilst the ONR conducted a rigorous safety assessment.
The ONR said it is satisfied the first reactor can be safely operated for a period of six months and that the cracks in the core will not impede the movements of controls rods, fuel or coolant.
The 965MW Hunterston B nuclear plant was opened in 1976 as one of the first in the UK’s fleet of seven advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) power stations. It was originally designed to operate for four decades but in 2012 EDF decided to extend its life by eight years.
However, EDF has now decided to cease generation at the plant by 7 January 2022 at the latest.
The company also expects to receive approval from the ONR in mid-September to operate the second reactor for another six-month period. Once they have completed these runs, EDF said the reactors will both be subjected to further safety assessments in spring 2021 and hopefully receive regulatory approval for another six months of operation.
Matt Sykes, managing director for EDF’s generation business, said: “Hunterston B has quietly delivered a major contribution to the UK for more than 40 years. It has far exceeded its original remit and, over its lifetime, gone on to safely produce enough low carbon energy to power the whole of Scotland for eight years.”
“We didn’t know back in the 1960s, when these plants were designed, just how important low carbon energy would become. We owe all those that designed, built, commissioned and still operate the station a huge debt of gratitude.
“Our focus is on continuing to safely deliver the last period of power generation and then transition the station into decommissioning.”
Following the end of generation, EDF will then begin defueling the power station – a process which is expected to take several years.
EDF chief executive Simone Rossi said: “I am extremely proud of all those who have run Hunterston B for more than 40 years. Today’s announcement underlines the urgent need for investment in new, low-carbon nuclear power to help Britain achieve net zero and secure the future for its nuclear industry, supply chain and workers.”
EDF said there are around 500 full time staff and 200 contractors currently working at the site and that it is working with employees to help them find other roles or training at the company if they are not interested in retiring.
Prospect national secretary Alan Leighton welcomed the imminent resumption of generation at Hunterston B but said the union was disappointed that it would ultimately come to end sooner than expected, “increasing pressure on workers who were already considering their futures”.
“Prospect is working closely with EDF to identify opportunities for the workforce, either in Hunterston B’s next phase, elsewhere in the company, or in the community,” he added. “Achieving the best possible outcome for all involved remains Prospect’s primary focus.”
He continued: “Hunterston B is one of a number of power stations reaching the end of their generating life. Its impending closure highlights the need for a properly thought out and integrated approach to ensuring a just transition for workers in the energy sector.
“It also highlights the need for government to act now, support the next generation of nuclear power at, for example, Sizewell C and Moorside, and safeguard the jobs, skills and capacity this country requires.”
Jonathan Marshall, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, commented: “Nuclear power stations not lasting forever should not surprise anyone. What would be surprising, though, would be power sector emissions increasing again were this clean power gap not filled with low-carbon electricity.
“Quick-to-build, a source of jobs up and down the country, and increasingly cheap, renewable energy sources are the obvious choice to ensure that both emissions and energy bills keep falling. Setting ambitious targets for onshore wind and solar, as seen for offshore wind, would ensure that there is more than enough clean energy to power our lives.
“While a decision on nuclear power funding is expected in the upcoming energy white paper, for now the clear answer is to crack on with the solutions that can be delivered reliably, rapidly and at rock-bottom costs.”