Thomas, Steve (2014) Why plans for AGR life extensions may not succeed. Nuclear Intelligence Weekly, VIII (41). pp. 8-9. ISSN 1940-574X

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Abstract

EDF Energy and the UK government argue that two Areva EPR reactors at Hinkley Point C will replace the capacity lost when they come on line in 2023 and the oldest of the seven
existing AGR stations, at Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B,
are retired. To further preserve security of supply, EDF is seeking to extend the lives of the other five AGR stations until at least 2028, when a follow-up EPR station at Sizewell would begin operating. However, the UK regulator, the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR), has the final say. Like its European counterparts but unlike the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the ONR does not give a fixed duration to its licenses, but effectively re-licenses each plant after major maintenance shutdowns. However, the European Union requires a 10-year Periodic Safety Review in which the regulator determines whether, in principle, the plant is licensable for a further 10 years. As the reactors, each with a 25-year design life, age, a number of technical issues are emerging which may mean some, or all, will not run according to EDF’s plans. To understand the reasons, it is necessary to go back five decades to when the AGRs were first ordered.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor, United Kingdom, EDF
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business > Centre for Work and Employment Research (CREW) > Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) Faculty of Business
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2016 09:29
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/12278

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