Hinkley Point B power station
On 1 October 2026 Hinkley Point B Somerset transferred from EDF into UK Government ownership. It was the first Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor to generate electricity to the grid in the UK and when it finished generating in August 2022 it was the most productive nuclear power station the UK has ever had.
Over its generating life Hinkley Point B produced 311TWh of low carbon electricity
Enough to power every home in the South West for 33 years
Avoiding 108m tonnes of CO2 emissions*
Like taking every car off the UK’s roads for 18 months
*when compared to direct emissions of combined cycle gas turbines | all figures rounded to the nearest hundred thousand
Hinkley Point B transfer into UK Government ownership
On October 1 2026 Hinkley Point B in Somerset transferred from EDF into UK Government ownership. It was the second of the UK's Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) to transfer, following Hunterston B in April 2026.
The site is now managed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS). This arrangement was agreed in June 2021, when EDF signed a contract with the UK Government to defuel all seven AGR stations across the UK before their transfer to the NDA.
Hinkley Point B was the first of the AGRs to come online in February 1976. Over its 46 years of electricity generation it produced enough electricity to power every home from in the South West, from Cornwall to the Cotswolds, for 33 years. It also helped the UK avoid more than 100m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Safety and reporting
Our number one priority is safety. Find out about our commitment to Zero Harm.
How we generate our power
As Britain's biggest generator of zero carbon electricity(1) we generate power from wind + nuclear + solar.
Careers at EDF
Interested in working at EDF? Find out about our graduate programmes, apprenticeships, internships and current vacancies.