Hunterston B nuclear power station

Hunterston B is a shut-down nuclear power station on the Ayrshire coast of the Firth of Clyde. It stands six kilometres south of Largs and four kilometres northwest of West Kilbride, beside the sea. Two advanced gas-cooled reactors were built here in the 1970s by The Nuclear Power Group and supplied turbines from C. A. Parsons & Co. Electricity generation began in February 1976 and ended in January 2022 after 46 years. The site has seen notable incidents that shaped safety practice. In 1977 seawater entered a reactor through a modified cooling pipe, leaving salt deposits that were removed by technicians with vacuum cleaners. During the 1998 Boxing Day Storm, high winds cut all four power lines and emergency diesels failed to start, prompting redesigns of insulators and new backup systems. Concerns about graphite core cracking led to super-articulated control rods being installed to ensure shutdown capability even if bricks shifted. Visitors today find a large industrial complex beside the shore, its two reactor buildings now silent. The surrounding landscape includes coastal paths and views across the Clyde. Inside, the defuelling process is under way, with fuel elements being removed and sent by rail to Sellafield. The site remains under regulatory oversight as decommissioning continues, offering a rare view of a working nuclear station in transition.