Beginning April 1, the U.K.'s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) will take over the closed Hunterston B nuclear power plant for decommissioning. Located in North Ayrshire, Scotland, Hunterston B was shut down in 2022 after 46 years of service and is one of seven advanced gas-cooled reactor stations owned and operated by EDF Energy in the United Kingdom.

Under agreement with the U.K. government, after being defueled, EDF's AGR stations are to transfer to the NDA, which will take ownership of the plants and manage the long-term decommissioning program, with NRS as the new site license company responsible for completing the decommissioning on behalf of the government.

Hunterston B is the first EDF AGR station to move to NRS for decommissioning. The NDA will take possession of the remaining AGR sites over the next decade on a rolling basis.

Transfer details: The U.K.'s Office of Nuclear Regulation formally approved the relicensing of Hunterston B on March 18 when Mike Finnerty, the ONR's chief executive and chief nuclear inspector, joined senior representatives from EDF, NRS, and the NDA to sign the documentation required to issue a new nuclear site license to NRS.

Simultaneously, the ONR signed the documentation revoking EDF's site license beginning March 31.

According to the NDA, the new site license sets out the conditions under which the site can operate and is crucial for future decommissioning work to proceed. Along with the license transfer, 246 staff from EDF will transfer to NRS.

D&D details: Decontamination and decommissioning of the two-unit Hunterston B will involve dismantling nuclear facilities and removing any associated radioactive waste for safe storage or disposal, which includes removing all plant, equipment, services, and buildings outside of the reactor building.

Decommissioning will be carried out using funds from the U.K.'s Nuclear Liabilities Fund, a ring-fenced £20.7 billion (about $27.8 billion) fund set up in 1996 specifically to pay for the decommissioning of the country's current nuclear fleet.  

After the decommissioning process is complete, the site will enter a period of care and maintenance, according to the ONR.

They said it: "This is a landmark moment, for the site and the NDA group, and a clear vote of confidence in our skills, capability, and expertise as we expand our nationally important decommissioning mission," said David Peattie, NDA Group CEO. "It demonstrates the strength of collaboration, with the NDA group, EDF, government, Nuclear Liabilities Fund, and regulators working together to deliver the transfer successfully, setting out a strong blueprint for the remaining AGR stations."

"It is now vital that the decommissioning and dismantling of these facilities is progressed in a timely manner," added Finnerty.