Hinkley Point B power station
Hinkley Point B is a nuclear power station near Bridgwater in Somerset. The station was the first Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor to generate electricity to the grid in the UK. When it finished generating in August 2022 it was the most productive nuclear power station the UK has ever had.
Since 1976 Hinkley Point B has generated 311 TWh 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 decommissioning
Hinkley Point B stopped generating electricity in August 2022 after 46 years of service. Over the next few years EDF will remove the used fuel from the reactors and prepare for the decommissioning of the nuclear power station.
Decommissioning will involve dismantling and demolition of plant and buildings on the Hinkley Point B site and will be carried out by Magnox, which is part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Learn about our plans at our online exhibition space or contact us directly by emailing HPBdecommissioning@edf-energy.com.
Decommissioning update
The first phase of decommissioning, the Preparations for Quiescence phase, is anticipated to start at the end of defueling (with formal handover of the site to NRS expected in 2027). This first phase will involve the removal of all buildings and plant from the site, with the exception of the reactor buildings and some adjoining structures which will be modified to create a Safestore structure.
This Safestore is designed to maintain the reactor buildings in a safe state through the Quiescence phase of around 70 years. Following this, the Final Site Clearance phase will involve the removal of the reactors and debris vaults housed in the Safestore structure, making the site available for future use. Whilst future uses of the site will not be achieved for many decades, our proposals are a stepped approach to dismantling and decontamination towards an end state. This allows for safe radioactive decay, prior to Final Site Clearance.
Marking the end of 46 amazing years of generation at Hinkley Point B nuclear power station
As we mark the end of 46 amazing years of generation at Hinkley Point B, our employees have been talking about what has made the nuclear power station so special.
From the community spirit of those who work there to the amount of energy supplied to the UK, there is so much to celebrate and be proud of.
About Hinkley Point B
- Station Director: Des Uminski
- Reactor type: 2 Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors
- Total supply to the national grid: 965 MW
- Coolant: Carbon dioxide gas (CO2)
- Start of construction: 1967
- Start of generation: 1976
- Date of decommissioning: August 2022
- People: Approximately 450 full time EDF employees and approximately 200 full time contract partners
£1.2billion investment across 2026-28 to help boost reliability and output
Milestone moment at Somerset powerhouse
New study shows positive impact of nuclear power stations on UK jobs
Contact us
- Address:
EDF Hinkley Point power station
Nr Bridgwater
Somerset TA5 1UD
Reception:
+44 (0)1278 654600 - Media requests:
Matthew Pardo Matthew.Pardo@edf-energy.com
+44 (0)7384 529006
Community requests:
Dave Stokes
dave.stokes@edf-energy.com
+44 (0)1278 654699
Community
EDF and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority hold regular joint meetings with local people, the media, council and emergency service representatives and local politicians, to maintain regular communications about the nuclear site. This meeting is independently chaired. Read the latest community report.
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.
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