Hinkley Point B becomes second AGR plant transferred for decommissioning

Hinkley Point B - comprising two Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) - was first synchronised to the electricity grid in February 1976. The plant generated more than 311 terawatt-hours of electricity before it was permanently shut down in August 2022. Within weeks work started to remove all of the remaining nuclear fuel. The final fuel left the site on 28 November last year. More than 4,900 elements of used fuel have been removed and packaged into specially engineered, transportable fuel flasks which were then transported to the Sellafield site in Cumbria for storage. In January 2026, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) granted the plant Fuel-Free Verification status, confirming all nuclear fuel has been removed and allowing the plant to move into its decommissioning phase.

In September 2024, the ONR received an application from EDF Energy to decommission Hinkley Point B. Following a public consultation and a detailed assessment by ONR specialist inspectors of EDF's environmental statement and Habitats Regulations Assessment, the ONR approved EDF Energy's plans for decommissioning the plant in late October 2025.

The ONR has now formally approved the relicensing of the Hinkley Point plant from EDF Energy to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), marking the beginning of the site's decommissioning phase. The licence, which took effect at the point of site transfer, is a legal document that will see responsibility for the site move from EDF to NRS. It sets out the conditions under which the site can operate and is crucial for future decommissioning work to proceed. NRS will decommission the site, which will involve dismantling and demolishing the plant and buildings, as well as site clearance and restoration. NRS is also decommissioning the neighbouring Hinkley Point A site.

"This is a significant milestone for Hinkley Point B, as it becomes the first AGR site in England to move across to NRS," said Tom Eagleton, ONR's Head of Safety for Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Sites. "Reaching this point has taken several years and involved close collaboration and partnership with government, the NDA group, EDF, Environment Agency, and the Nuclear Liabilities Fund to prepare the site for transfer. Throughout the process, we have seen strong evidence to support NRS's site licence application, and we are satisfied it has the skills and capability to safely decommission the site."

EDF had originally been responsible for total lifetime decommissioning of the UK's seven AGR plants, which comprise Torness and Hunterston B in Scotland, Dungeness B in Kent, Hartlepool in Teesside, Heysham 1 and 2 in Lancashire and Hinkley Point B in Somerset. All these plants are scheduled to reach the end of their operational lives this decade. However, in June 2021, the UK government and EDF agreed improved arrangements to safely and efficiently decommission the AGRs. Under the agreement, EDF will aim to shorten the time it takes to safely remove the fuel from the plants as they come offline, before working closely with the NDA to transfer ownership of the stations to the NDA.

Hinkley Point B is the second AGR site to transfer to the NDA for decommissioning following Hunterston B earlier this year in April.

"Hinkley Point B was the first nuclear station of its type to begin generating in 1976 - all those that followed, and indeed this industry, have learned a huge amount from all it has accomplished. It has been a trailblazer and now it, and the dedicated teams who have made it the national asset it is, have a new task at hand - one I am sure they will deliver to the highest standard and with the ceaseless professionalism we have all benefitted from over the last decades," said John Munro, Managing Director of EDF Nuclear Operations.

NRS CEO Rob Fletcher said: "We're proud to welcome our new colleagues from EDF into the NDA group. We already have deep local experience at Hinkley through our work at Hinkley Point A, where strong relationships have been built and significant progress has been made in restoration, innovation and preparing facilities for their next chapter. As we welcome Hinkley Point B and our new colleagues, we look forward to working together across both sites to share experience, strengthen local capability and deliver safe, secure decommissioning for the benefit of the community and the wider UK nuclear mission."

"As our mission continues to expand, we're proud to draw on decades of expertise, applying proven skills, innovation and experience to safely decommission the AGR fleet," NDA Group CEO David Peattie said. "As we warmly welcome our new colleagues to the NDA group it's a reminder that decommissioning underpins the nuclear energy sector. We are safely cleaning up sites and managing waste, preparing land for alternative uses, as well as sustaining national capability, supporting local communities, and giving confidence that the UK will manage its nuclear legacy responsibly."

Tom Greatrex, CEO of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association, said: "Hinkley Point B is a powerful example of the contribution nuclear power has made to this country: it generated more clean British power in its time than any other station in our history, and it provided good jobs and billions in investment for local communities. As the site moves into decommissioning, the skilled and expert workforce will continue to ensure the site is managed safely and responsibly while retaining the skills and capabilities we need for the future of the UK's nuclear industry."