Nuclear waste stored at hunterston
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Executive summary
Hunterston’s two adjacent sites are in active, long-term decommissioning and waste-management phases: Hunterston B was declared fuel‑free in April 2025 after removal of 4,880 used fuel elements packaged into almost 350 flasks and transported by rail to Sellafield for long‑term storage [1] [2] [3]. Hunterston A has completed major intermediate‑level waste (ILW) retrievals—more than 2,100 tonnes of solid ILW have been retrieved and placed into on‑site ILW stores pending encapsulation [4] [5] [6].
1. What “nuclear waste at Hunterston” actually means
The sites involve different inventories and stages. Hunterston B’s recent milestone was defuelling—4,880 fuel elements were removed, processed and packaged into almost 350 engineered flasks and shipped by rail to Sellafield for long‑term storage; this is spent fuel, the highest‑activity material formerly in the reactors [1] [2] [3]. Hunterston A, a separate, older Magnox site, has been clearing intermediate‑level waste from bunkers and ponds: over 2,100 tonnes of solid ILW were retrieved, sealed into boxes and moved to an ILW store pending encapsulation at a SILWE facility [4] [5] [6].
2. Recent milestones and the immediate chain of custody
Regulatory and operator accounts record that Hunterston B is now “fuel free”; ONR oversight confirms that spent fuel was removed since 2022 and transported by Nuclear Transport Solutions to Sellafield [7] [2]. The NDA group and EDF say the site will transfer to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group for decommissioning in 2026 [8] [7]. For Hunterston A, operators (NRS/Magnox, now part of NDA structures) describe completed retrievals from concrete bunkers with final boxes sealed and moved into on‑site ILW stores awaiting encapsulation [4] [6].
3. Where the material will be held next and for how long
Available sources say Hunterston B’s spent fuel has been transported to Sellafield for long‑term storage [3] [2] [1]. Hunterston A’s ILW is stored on site in engineered stores and will be encapsulated in the SILWE plant before long‑term storage, consistent with Scottish policy on higher‑activity waste [4] [5] [6]. Sources note the broader UK search and planning for a Geological Disposal Facility but do not provide a local final‑disposal timescale for Hunterston wastes in these documents [8]. If you are seeking a guaranteed final disposal date for either site’s wastes, not found in current reporting.
4. Safety, regulation and who’s responsible
ONR has overseen defuelling milestones and will shift regulatory directorates as sites move from operating to decommissioning phases; ONR received an application from Nuclear Restoration Services to become the new duty holder for Hunterston B [7]. The NDA group and its subsidiary NRS (formerly Magnox) are cited as responsible for decommissioning and ILW management at Hunterston A and, from 2026, for Hunterston B [8] [4] [7]. These are government‑backed bodies, which frames both the technical competence and the political accountability of the process [8] [7].
5. Numbers that matter and what they don’t tell you
Key quantifiable facts in the reporting: 4,880 spent fuel elements removed from Hunterston B and packaged into almost 350 flasks [1] [2]; over 2,100 tonnes of solid ILW retrieved from Hunterston A bunkers [4] [5]. Those figures demonstrate progress but do not by themselves describe long‑term radiological risk, transport risk assessments, final disposal timelines, or the cost profile beyond general references to funding sources [1] [8]. For claims about future safety, costs or final repository siting, available sources do not mention precise end dates or quantified long‑term risk metrics.
6. Competing perspectives and possible concerns
Operators and regulators present the activity as a managed, successful reduction of hazard—defuelling, retrievals and certified transport to Sellafield are highlighted [7] [2] [4]. Critics often focus on timescales, permanent disposal uncertainty, and local consent for repositories; the NDA business plan highlights ongoing efforts to identify Geological Disposal Facility sites and Areas of Focus in West Cumbria, showing national‑level debates remain active [8]. Local and sector advocacy or opposition views are not detailed in the supplied documents; available sources do not mention specific local community objections to the recent waste movements at Hunterston.
7. What to watch next
Watch the NDA transfer of Hunterston B in spring 2026 and ONR decisions about the new duty holder—these will set the regulatory regime for the decommissioning phase [8] [7]. Also follow progress on the SILWE encapsulation plant and any public updates on Geological Disposal Facility site selection, both central to where ILW and other higher‑activity wastes will ultimately be disposed [4] [8].