Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) has today assumed responsibility as site licensee for Hunterston B Power Station after approval from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
This marks a significant milestone for the Ayrshire site in Scotland as Hunterston becomes the first of EDF's Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor sites to transfer to NRS.
Hunterston has now moved into the ownership of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and the decommissioning work will now be led by its subsidiary NRS on behalf of the UK government.
Having operated for 46 years, Hunterston stopped generating and was taken offline in 2022.
Both reactors have since been successfully defuelled – a key landmark point overseen by ONR - and the site now enters its next phase.
The decision to grant NRS the site licence follows a rigorous assessment by ONR's specialist inspectors, who are satisfied that NRS has demonstrated the necessary capability and competence to hold the licence.
Hear more from Mike Finnerty, our Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, about this significant milestone during his visit to Hunterston on 18 March.