Fuel free at Hunterston B as UK’s first AGR nuclear station completes defueling

• Hunterston B power station has been defueled on time and on budget, the first of the UK’s seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) stations to be declared free of all spent nuclear fuel
• Since 1976 Hunterston B has contributed more than £13.3 billion to the UK economy, and delivered nearly 300TWh of electricity, enough to power all Scotland’s homes for over 30 years. It also saved 172 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere compared to gas fired power
• The cost of defueling the power station was covered by the funds from the Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF), a specific fund set up in 1996 to pay for decommissioning
• Focus now turns to preparing the station for transfer from EDF to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) to continue decommissioning.

It has been confirmed that the station, which helped to power Scotland with low carbon electricity for 46 years, no longer holds any spent nuclear fuel on the site. It is the first station in the UK’s fleet of seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) sites to be completely defueled.

Formal confirmation came following a series of rigorous checks of the power station by the operator, EDF, and the independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Hunterston B Station Director, Andy Dalling, said: “Defueling the station on time and on budget has been down to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved and we are proud to have been able to deliver such an exceptional performance.

“We are now fully focussed on getting the station ready to transfer from EDF to NRS for decommissioning in around a year’s time. Deconstruction of the site will take place over the coming years, with most of the people working here today staying at the site to carry out that job.”

It took just two years and 10 months to remove all the fuel from the site and the work was delivered to budget using funds from the Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF), a ring-fenced £20.6 billion fund set up in 1996 specifically to pay for the decommissioning of the current nuclear fleet.

Mark Hartley is Managing Director of EDF’s Nuclear Operations business, he said: “The completion of defueling and confirmation the site is officially ‘fuel-free’ is a significant milestone in the station’s journey. Removing all the spent nuclear fuel unlocks the next phase of work and will allow decommissioning by NRS to progress as planned.

“Hunterston B has proven itself an incredible asset for Scotland. Over its lifetime it has contributed more than £13.3 billion to the economy and supported thousands of jobs locally every year. It delivered during generation and now, with the successful completion of defueling, it has delivered on the commitment made by EDF to the UK Government.”

In June 2021, EDF signed a contract with the UK Government to defuel all seven AGR stations across the UK before their transfer to NRS. Hinkley Point B in Somerset is expected to complete defueling by the end of 2025.

Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Lord Hunt, said: “Hunterston B produced the equivalent of enough clean power for all of Scotland’s homes for over 30 years while supporting thousands of jobs – that’s why we are backing new nuclear as part of our Plan for Change to get Britain building and become a clean energy superpower.

“Quick and effective decommissioning of old nuclear sites is vital for a successful nuclear industry, and today’s milestone demonstrates the UK’s leadership in this field.”

Over the past three years 4,880 elements of spent fuel have been removed, processed and packaged into almost 350 large, specially engineered, flasks. The fuel was transported by rail by Nuclear Transport Services (NTS) from Hunterston B to Sellafield, in Cumbria, for long-term storage.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is the public body responsible for the decommissioning of the 17 nuclear sites across the UK and is the parent body of NRS, NTS and Sellafield.

NDA Group CEO, David Peattie, said: “This is a significant achievement, and I want to congratulate EDF, the staff at Hunterston B, and all those involved from the NDA group who worked tirelessly in partnership to make this happen.

“We look forward to welcoming Hunterston B into our group.  We’re experts in nuclear decommissioning and nuclear waste management and we’re proud to utilise our specialist skills and capability to support the wider sector, for the benefit of the nation.

“It’s why the Government has entrusted the NDA with the long-term decommissioning of AGRs, and we’ll continue to work closely with EDF to ensure the smooth transition of the site to Nuclear Restoration Services next year.”