THE defueling of one of the reactors at Hinkley Point B power station has been completed successfully, the Office for Nuclear Regulation confirmed.

Somerset's EDF-operated site, located near Bridgwater, has now finished the key milestone of defueling Reactor 4. Similar work is due to start on the station’s second reactor, Reactor 3.

The nuclear fuel removed from the reactors will be safely transported by rail to Sellafield in Cumbria for storage.

Throughout the defueling stage, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is "regulating the site with a clear focus on post operations", including cleanout, decommissioning and dismantling.

Hinkley Point B was the first of the UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors and moved into its defueling phase in August 2022 after 46 years of electricity generation.

Once the power station is completely fuel-free, the nuclear site licence will then be transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for its subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services to carry out decommissioning work. Fuel-free verification is when all of the spent fuel has been certified as being removed from the site.

Mike Webb, ONR’s Head of Operating Reactors Sub-Division, said: "Since Hinkley Point B ceased generating, our inspectors have been focused on regulating the defueling phase of the station.

"Defueling is the process of safely removing the spent nuclear fuel from the reactors, which removes the vast majority of the radioactive hazard.

"We will continue to effectively and efficiently regulate the Hinkley Point B site throughout the entire defueling and decommissioning phase to ensure the licensee complies with all regulations to safeguard workers and the public."

ONR has also received an application from EDF to decommission the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset and is inviting comments and feedback from all stakeholders on the environmental statement to help inform our decision on the application. More details can be found on the ONR's public consultation page.