Environment Agency
About Hinkley Point
The Hinkley Point nuclear power stations are on the north Somerset coast.Hinkley Point A was Hinkley Points first nuclear power station. It operated from 1965 to 2000 and is being decommissioned.
Hinkley Point B began operation in 1976. It stopped generating electricity on 1 August 2022.
EDFs company NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd is building a new, twin reactor nuclear power station (Hinkley Point C) at the site. Operation of the first reactor is expected in 2027.
Environment Agencys regulation at Hinkley Point
The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear power stations meet our high standards of environmental protection.
We regulate the Hinkley Point sites working closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
We have published information on how we regulate nuclear sites like Hinkley Point.
We have also published information explaining how levels of radioactivity in the environment around the Hinkley Point sites are monitored and assessed.
Hinkley Point A
Hinkley Point A is being decommissioned. The Environment Agency regulates how Magnox manage and dispose of radioactive waste from decommissioning at the site.Environment Agency nuclear regulators attend and report to the Hinkley Point site stakeholder group for Hinkley Point A.
You can find and request information about the environmental permits for Hinkley Point A on the public register. You need to search under Magnox.
You can find out more about the decommissioning of Hinkley Point A from:
Hinkley Point B
The Environment Agency regulates how EDF is defueling the power station at Hinkley Point B. In particular, we regulate discharges from the site and radioactive waste disposal.
Environment Agency nuclear regulators attend and report to the Hinkley Point site stakeholder group, a joint group for Hinkley Point A and B.
You can find and request information about the environmental permits for Hinkley Point B on the public register. You need to search under EDF.
You can access reports about Hinkley Point B by ONR.
You can read information about Hinkley Point B from EDF.
Hinkley Point C
Power station design at Hinkley Point C
The Environment Agency and ONR developed an assessment process called Generic Design Assessment (GDA). We use this to scrutinise new nuclear power station designs before they are built.
We used the GDA process to assess the Areva UK EPR reactor design that EDF is constructing at its Hinkley Point C site. The assessment process ended in December 2012 and the Environment Agency and ONR concluded that the reactor design is acceptable. This means that people and the environment will be properly protected if this reactor design is constructed and operated in the UK.
You can read reports about the GDA assessment process for this design.
The Environment Agency uses the information from our GDA process assessments to help inform decisions on EDFs environmental permit applications for Hinkley Point C.
Environmental permits for Hinkley Point C
EDFs Hinkley Point C company, NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd, applied for permits from the Environment Agency to build and operate Hinkley Point C in 2011. These are permits to:
- dispose of and discharge radioactive wastes
- operate standby power supply systems using diesel generators
- discharge cooling water and liquid effluents into the Bristol Channel
The Environment Agency consulted on draft decisions on the applications in autumn 2012.
The Environment Agency issued 3 operational environmental permits to the company for Hinkley Point C in March 2013, for the activities they applied for.
See further information about the decisions on these environmental permit applications from NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd for a proposed nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset.
The Environment Agency carried out a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) for these permits. The HRA checks whether the activity could have a significant negative effect on protected species such as migratory fish or birds, or on protected areas nearby (Severn Estuary and its tributaries, Exmoor and the Quantocks).
The Environment Agency must make sure that activities carried out under an environmental permit will not have a negative effect on vulnerable species and habitats or contribute to their loss.
NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd must also apply to the Environment Agency for environmental permits to carry out specific activities such as:
- site preparation
- construction works
- associated developments such as a park and ride
The Environment Agency will continue to receive applications for environmental permits and changes (variations) to those permits as the development of Hinkley Point C progresses.
See our decisions on applications to vary environmental permits for Hinkley Point C.
You can find and request information about the environmental permits for Hinkley Point C on the public register. You need to search under NNB generation company HPC.
Environment Agency staff attend and present information to EDFs Hinkley Point C Fora.
You can read information about Hinkley Point C from EDF.
Application to change a water discharge activity permit for Hinkley Point C
In February 2019 the Environment Agency received an application for a permit variation from NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd.
The company wanted to change how Hinkley Point C nuclear power station takes and discharges cooling water from the Severn Estuary. They wanted to remove the reference to one of the fish protection measures in the existing permit the Acoustic Fish Deterrent (AFD) from the intake pipes for the cooling water.
Together with other measures, this is intended to reduce the number of fish which could be drawn into the cooling water system and killed.
We held a public consultation in 2019 to seek comments on the permit application.
We produced a HRA as part of the permit determination. We were unable to conclude that removing the AFD would have no adverse effect on the protected habitats and species in the Severn Estuary.
In August 2020, NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd considered (deemed) that we had refused their permit variation because we had not finished determining their application.
In September 2020, the company appealed to the Secretary of State (<