HINKLEY Point B power station is unlikely to be back in operation before the end of March after operators British Energy announced further inspections were planned. Both reactors were shut down in October after age- related cracks were found in boiler tubes and the graphite blocks which make up the reactor core. This week, the company revealed further cracks had been found in "other boiler tube components" in one reactor, which meant the second reactor would also now be the subject of further investigations. However, "human resource constraints" meant the reactors were unlikely to return to service until the end of March.
