EDF Energy is underway with maintenance works on a power station's nuclear reactor in North Ayrshire.

During routine inspections, engineers discovered three graphite blocks were cracked on one of the two nuclear reactors at the Hunterston B power station.

Known as keyway root cracking, the maintenance was predicted to start at this point in the station's lifetime.

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Further inspections will now take place to see if any additional cracks are found.

Station director Colin Weir said: "Nuclear safety drives everything we do. This means we work within very large safety margins. This applies to graphite bricks too.  The level of cracking which is considered reasonable is far below anything which would affect the reactor's safe operation.

"It is accepted by our regulators and materials experts that cracks will occur in some of the bricks and that the core will lose some of its mass as part of the normal ageing process.

"The observations were anticipated and are in line with our understanding, so our view of the best estimate lifetime planning date of 2023 has not changed."

(LM/CD)