Letter to Hunterston Site Stakeholder Group - 7 September

Dear SSG Member, 

As a member of our community, I like to keep you updated on any developments at the power station.

As outlined at last week’s SSG meeting, we brought Hunterston B’s Reactor 3 back online last Monday 31 August following a two year inspection and investment programme which has given the regulator, the ONR, the confidence that the station would shut down as designed even in an earthquake far worse than the UK has ever experienced. 

Today I want to give you an update on Reactor 4. We took it offline in mid-December 2019, following a four-month run of safe and reliable generation. The ONR is currently assessing the safety case for the return to service of Reactor 4.

As you are aware, market rules require us to give our most likely view of return to service dates. We have concluded that the current trading date for Reactor 4 needs to be pushed back 12 days to 29 September (from 17 September).

As I explained last week we have made the decision that Hunterston B will move into the first phase of nuclear decommissioning, defuelling, no later than 7 January 2022. This will be subject to further regulatory approval following inspections in six months’ time.

If you’re interested in finding out more, please look at our graphite web page. 

I hope this information is useful to you as a member of the Site Stakeholder Group. Should you wish to ask any questions please feel free to ring the Station on 01294 826000 and ask for our Communications Officer, Nikki Thomson.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Forrest

Station Director.