The United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation has granted EDF Energy permission to decommission the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset, England.
The decision came after a public consultation and detailed assessment by Office of Nuclear Regulation specialist inspectors of EDF’s environmental statement and habitats regulations assessment, according to the UK agency’s Oct. 30 press release.
“ONR [Office of Nuclear Regulation] is satisfied that the environmental statement proposes adequate mitigation measures to address the adverse environmental impacts of the decommissioning project and considers the statement to be complete, of the right quality, and in line with relevant good practice,” the agency said.
The nuclear site will be transferred from EDF to Nuclear Restoration Services, a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, for cleanup of the site.
Nuclear Restoration Services is responsible for decommissioning 13 sites across the United Kingdom, which includes the first generation of nuclear and research sites, according to the release.
Hinkley Point B has two advanced gas-cooled reactors. The plant produced around 965 megawatts when in operation. The plant first began generating electricity in 1976 and ceased operation in August 2022.
Both reactors were defueled already, according to the release. EDF formally applied to the Office of Nuclear Regulation to decommission the plant in August 2024.