LONDON, 08 December 2022, (TON): Electricity generation has ended at Scotland’s Hunterston B power station with the shutting down of Reactor 4, an advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR).

Operator EDF says the power station produced enough electricity during its lifetime to power every home in Scotland for nearly 31 years.

The plant, which came online for the first time in February 1976, was initially expected to run for 25 years but had its generating lifespan increased to more than 45 years.

The station’s other unit, Reactor 3, was taken offline in November.

Station director, Paul Forrest said “the contribution Hunterston B power station has made to this country cannot be underestimated. As well as providing stable, well paid employment for thousands of people in the North Ayrshire area, it has produced almost 300TWh of zero-carbon electricity.”

“Everyone here is proud of what the station has accomplished. We will pause to reflect the end of generation but we are looking forward to the future. We don’t just switch off the power station, close the gates and walk away. It will take time to defuel and decommission the site and we will continue to need skilled people to do this.”

Both reactors were taken offline in 2018 after cracks in their graphite cores were discovered during routine inspections. The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) gave approval to restart Reactor 4 in August 2020 and Reactor 3 the following month. However they were taken offline again in 2021 for further inspections of their graphite cores, with the ONR then giving permission for them to be switched on for about six months of operation each.

The two reactors will now be prepared for defueling, where nuclear fuel is removed from the reactors and transported to Sellafield in northwest England for storage.