Hinkley Point B power station near Burnham-On-Sea now holds the record for generating more electricity than any other nuclear power station in the country.
EDF Energy said this week that it has achieved the milestone of generating 300 TWh (terawatt hours) of low-carbon electricity since coming online in 1976.
The firm says the station has produced enough to power every home for almost three years whilst avoiding the production of 105 Million tonnes of C02e, the equivalent of removing all cars from our roads for one and a half years.
Hinkley Point B first started operating in February 1976, making history when it became the first of the then Central Electricity Generating Board’s advanced gas cooled reactors to connect to the national grid.
It became the UK’s twelfth operational commercial nuclear power station and today employs over 700 people, contributing to EDF Energy’s wider multi-million pound a year contribution to the South West economy.
Peter Evans, Hinkley Point B’s Station Director, said: “Achieving the 300 TWh milestone is a fantastic achievement and really signifies the huge contribution Hinkley Point B power station has made to low carbon generation in the UK over the years.”
“I would like to pay tribute and personally thank the staff, contract partners, and central support functions, both past and present who have all played a part in the power station’s ongoing success.”
Working together with Hinkley Point B, EDF’s eight nuclear power stations continue to power the UK with safe, reliable, low-carbon electricity.
Operating 24 hours a day, Hinkley B continues to play an important role in the fight against climate change and the UK’s ambition to make net-zero emissions possible.
Hinkley Point C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 7% of UK demand.
