Hunterston B nuclear power station
Hunterston B nuclear power station is a shut-down AGR nuclear power station in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Located about six miles (ten kilometres) south of Largs and about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 kilometres) northwest of West Kilbride on the Firth of Clyde coast. It is currently operated by EDF Energy, and began producing electricity in 1976.
| Hunterston B nuclear power station | |
|---|---|
The Hunterston B AGR reactor building. | |
| Official name | Hunterston B |
| Country | Scotland |
| Location | North Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran |
| Coordinates | 55.7221°N 4.8901°W |
| Status | Defuelling (as of 19 May 2022) |
| Construction began | November 1, 1967 |
| Commission date |
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| Decommission date |
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| Owner(s) | EDF Energy |
| Operator(s) | EDF Energy |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | GCR - AGR |
| Reactor supplier | TNPG |
| Thermal capacity | 2 x 1,496 MWt |
| Lifetime electricity generated | 287.22 TWh (1,034.0 PJ) |
| Power generation | |
| Units decommissioned |
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| Nameplate capacity | 1,248 MWe |
| Capacity factor |
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| Annual net output | 6,423.24 GWh (23,123.7 TJ) (2021) |
| External links | |
| Website | Hunterston B power station | EDF |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
grid reference NS183514 | |
The station ceased generation on 7 January 2022. On 19 May 2022, EDF announced that defueling was started on the two Hunterston B units. This process is expected to take over three years to complete, and it involves the complete emptying of all fuel channels from both reactors. This amounts to over 300 channels from each reactor, each containing 8 fuel elements. Fully loaded flasks containing the used fuel are scheduled to be dispatched from the site by rail to Sellafield at a maximum rate of three per week.
Hunterston B is similar in design to sister station Hinkley Point B, which ceased operations in August 2022.