HINKLEY Point B has a new boss who will be at the helm when the station finally shuts down next summer after 46 years of nuclear power generation.

Mike Davies, who has worked at Hinkley Point B for more than 18 years, has taken over as station director.

He had previously worked in the station’s chemistry team, its operations department and has recently been steering Hinkley B’s preparations for de-fuelling, the next stage of the plant’s lifecycle when the station’s two nuclear reactors are switched off.

Mike and his predecessor Peter Evans jointly oversaw the return to power of a reactor after a round of inspections. It will now stay online until generation ends.

Mike said: "Hinkley Point B is a wonderful place to work and I’m honoured to have been chosen by EDF to steer the station over the coming years.

"Over the next year we have a huge amount of work to do. I’m determined we run the reactors safely, and effectively, over the next few months.

"We then need to carefully shut them down while we also celebrate the enormous achievements that our teams here, and all those that came before them, have made over more than 46 years of generating.

"Then we need to turn our attention to de-fuelling this site as safely, effectively and efficiently as possible".

His predecessor Peter Evans stood down after six years as station director at Hinkley Point B. In that time he raised tens of thousands of pounds for company charities, and oversaw the station through a remarkable period of generation.

The station still tops the UK nuclear league table for the amount of electricity it has produced over its lifetime.

He said: "My time at Hinkley Point B has been some of the happiest of my career. I arrived in Somerset 13 years ago and quickly settled into life at the station. I’m staying in Somerset because I love living here.

"But all good things must come to an end and I’m leaving this station and the team in the best possible hands."