nuclear-news

EDF set to extend life of UK nuclear plants as Government replacement plans falter

Power plants in Hartlepool, East Lothian and Heysham are set to have their lifespan extended before the end of the year .

By Ben Gartside,  December 2, 2024, https://inews.co.uk/news/nuclear-plants-uk-edf-extend-replacement-3408994

Energy giant EDF is set to announce that it will extend the lifespan of four nuclear power plants across the country amid delays to replacement projects, The i Paper can reveal.

It is the second time EDF has asked to extend the lifespan of the plants in Hartlepool and East Lothian, as well as two in Heysham, despite safety concerns at at least two of the sites.

The decision by EDF is set to be announced before the end of the year. However, The i Paper understands that all four are set to be extended.

The scale of delays to the Government’s nuclear projects including Sizewell C and the Small Modular Reactor Programme, due to Brexit and rampant inflation, was revealed earlier this year.

It threatened to derail Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s plan to decarbonise the energy grid by 2030 before Labour even entered Downing Street.

The National Energy System Operator has raised doubts over the Government’s ability to deliver on its net zero grid commitments in just five years’ time.

The extension of the four power plants is likely to keep the grid cleaner in the coming years, while new nuclear projects await launch.

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool had been due to close in March this year, but were extended until 2026 by EDF in 2023. They have now been extended beyond 2026.

Heysham 2 and Torness nuclear power stations are currently due to close in 2028, but are set to be extended under the plans.

Torness, near Edinburgh, had its lifespan reduced by two years in 2021 due to cracking in the bricks, according to an Office for Nuclear Regulation report.

It has been reported that any extension to the Torness plant would have been conditional on EDF proving its ability to keep operating beyond 2028.

Meanwhile, a recent steam leak at Heysham 1 could have seriously injured staff according to an Office for Nuclear Regulation report, after a valve controlling stream from the reactor failed.

A number of safety notices have been given this year to EDF by the nuclear regulator, which some in the industry claim is a sign of the ageing power plants.

An industry source said that some of the reactors had already been “extended pretty far”, and that more issues would be likely.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “The extension of any nuclear power station is a decision for the operator and the independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, based on safety and commercial considerations.

“EDF’s ambition is to further extend the lives of four generating nuclear power stations, subject to inspections and regulatory approvals, and a decision will be taken by the end of 2024.”

An EDF spokesperson said: “A decision will only be made after a rigorous review of all the technical factors involved in running these stations and future operation will always be subject to regular inspections and oversight from the independent regulator, the ONR.”

A spokesperson for the Office for Nuclear Regulation, said: “We are conscious of the nation’s energy challenges and government aspirations to achieve net zero and would constructively work with EDF should it have ambitions to extend the lifetime of any of its power stations.

“The ongoing safety of operations at any nuclear site must be fully demonstrated to us as part of ongoing regulation which will be informed though our extensive inspection and assessment regime.

“We will always endeavour to regulate in an enabling manner, but we would not allow any facility to operate unless we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.

December 3, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, safety, UK