EDF Energy said on Friday it was confident its Hunterston B nuclear plant in Scotland would eventually reopen, having been offline since last year after cracks were discovered in the reactor’s graphite core. EDF Energy said a 100 million pound, 5-year research process had been undertaken into issues surrounding the lifetime of its plants. “Market rules mean we would immediately have to announce if this extensive research had altered our expectations about the closure of our power stations,” the spokeswoman said. She was responding to a report by the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a non-profit organisation, published on Friday, which said Britain’s climate target could be in jeopardy if the plant does not re-open and if the six other nuclear plants in Britain, with the same Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) design, were also forced to close early. “If this happens it is unlikely that the lights will go out, but it could make hitting our carbon targets more challenging,” said Jonathan Marshall author of the ECIU report.
Reuters 7th June 2019 read more »
Fans of Chernobyl will know just how dangerous nuclear reactors can be, and now cracks found in a power plant in Scotland could lead to the full evacuation of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Hunterston B nuclear power plant, near Ardrossan, Scotland, is home to two of Europe’s oldest nuclear reactors. At 43 years old they’re way beyond their operating lifetimes, which have been extended twice by EDF Energy. The reactors are scheduled to close down for good in 2023, but there’s a serious safety fault at the plant.
Unilad 5th June 2019 read more »