EDF Energy, a subsidiary of the French state-owned power utility EDF, has switched off the second gas-cooled reactor (GCR) reactor (470 MW) of the Hinkley Point B nuclear power plant in Somerset (southwest England), effectively shutting off the 945 MW plant. The first reactor (475 MW) was switched off in July 2022. The Hinkley Point B nuclear plant, which began producing electricity in 1976, was facing ageing issues, as cracks were found in graphite bricks from the reactor's core.
The second reactor is expected to shortly start its defueling process, which involves removing the nuclear fuel from the reactors and could take several years. After the fuel is removed, both reactors will be handed over to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Eight other nuclear units in the United Kingdom are due to shut down between 2024 and 2028.EDF Energy is currently building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, which comprises two 1.6 GW European pressurized reactors (EPRs) whose construction started in 2018 and 2019. The reactors are expected to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
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