EDF extends power generation at its UK nuclear plants by another two years

The operator of the UK’s Hartlepool and Heysham 1 nuclear plants will extend their operation by a further 24 months. It now plans to shut down the plants in March 2030, alongside the two remaining AGR units it operates in the country. The longer operation will provide the country with 28 TWh of electricity, thereby increasing energy independence and security ahead of the commissioning of new nuclear units at Hinkley Point C.

Energy company EDF Energy announced that it will operate its two UK nuclear plants, Hartlepool and Heysham 1, until March 2030. The company’s original plans envisaged shutting them down two years earlier. During the extended operation, the two AGR (advanced gas-cooled reactor) plants, with installed capacities of 1310 MW and 1250 MW (gross), will generate an additional approximately 28 TWh of electricity.

“We have been clear that our aim is to generate from these stations for as long as it is safe and commercially viable to do so, so it is great that we can confirm a further two-year extension for Heysham 1 and Hartlepool,” said John Munro, EDF’s nuclear operations managing director.

The company also says that longer operation will support the United Kingdom’s energy security. In addition, it will preserve jobs for around 1,000 employees.

“AGR stations have been the backbone of secure, zero-carbon electricity generation in the United Kingdom for five decades. The nuclear fleet also plays a key role in maintaining grid stability, which is highly important at a time when the whole system is being affected by renewables. Today’s decision will retain a stable baseload source, domestic generation and reduce reliance on imports during tighter periods,” Munro said.

A common end for most UK nuclear power in 2030?

EDF Energy currently operates all UK nuclear units. Since 2009, when it acquired seven AGR reactors, it has shut down only three of them, even though all of them were expected to generate electricity only until 2023. Thanks to investments in extended operation, all four remaining units can now generate until 2030. However, the company does not rule out a further extension if the technical condition of the plants allows it.

“When nuclear assets are shut down, their generation is often replaced by gas-fired sources. If we are serious about reducing the United Kingdom’s dependence on gas and maintaining system stability, it makes sense to keep these stations operating to support energy security and our carbon targets,” Munro added.

If EDF were to shut down its AGR fleet in 2030, it would be left with only the PWR unit at Sizewell B operating in the United Kingdom, and installed nuclear capacity would fall from approximately 6.5 GW to 1.25 GW. Two new EPR units are being built at Hinkley Point C to replace the country’s ageing nuclear plants. They are expected to begin generating electricity in the early 2030s. Another planned new nuclear plant is the also two-unit Sizewell C.