Extended life for two UK nuclear power stations

Power big EDF has introduced plans to increase the lives of two of the UK’s 5 remaining nuclear energy stations.

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool had been as a consequence of shut in March subsequent yr, however they’ll now be stored open till early 2026.

The corporate says the transfer will assist power safety, scale back demand for imported fuel, and scale back carbon emissions.

About 1,400 individuals work on the two websites, with a whole lot extra within the provide chain.

The federal government welcomed the information, with Secretary of State Grant Shapps saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the “very important significance” of bolstering power safety.

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool started working in 1983. Every has two Superior Gasoline Cooled reactors, which have been initially scheduled for closure in 2014. Two earlier lifetime extensions had taken the closure date to March 2024.

The 2 energy stations at present account for about 5% of the nation’s electrical energy.

The announcement comes at a time when the nation’s power safety has been coming beneath intense scrutiny.

The majority of our electrical energy is generated from fuel. Final yr, the battle in Ukraine led to a sudden spike in fuel costs – which additionally led to a steep improve in electrical energy payments.

Renewable era, from wind and solar energy for instance, has been rising quickly lately. However the quantity obtainable to the grid can differ in keeping with the time of day and the climate.

Supporters of nuclear era argue that it gives baseload energy – in different phrases, a predictable and steady provide – though different sources are wanted to react shortly to spikes in demand.

To stop potential blackouts this winter, 5 ageing coal crops have been stored on standby by Nationwide Grid.

Earlier this week two of them have been ordered to start out producing energy, as a mix of excessive demand and restricted provides led to considerations about potential shortages.

A brand new scheme beneath which shoppers are paid to cut back consumption at peak instances has additionally been tried out lately.

EDF stated the choice to maintain Heysham 1 and Hartlepool open had been taken following a “rigorous assessment” of the technical and business instances for preserving them open.

It pointed to inspections of the reactor cores final yr which “elevated confidence that the stations can generate for longer and proceed to fulfill stringent regulatory requirements”.

The corporate has, nonetheless, closed three different nuclear energy stations over the previous 18 months.

Underneath present plans, even with the extensions agreed at the moment, the nation’s complete fleet of AGR reactors is because of shut by 2028.

Sizewell B, a reactor constructed to a unique design, is anticipated to stay open till 2035.

The federal government is dedicated to constructing a brand new era of nuclear energy stations. However just one – Hinkley Level C – is at present beneath building.

The brand new £25bn plant, which has been beset by rising prices and delays, just isn’t anticipated to open earlier than June 2027.

An knowledgeable group that features some vocal opponents of nuclear energy, the Worldwide Nuclear Threat Evaluation Group, stated in 2021 – in a report ageing nuclear energy crops – that extensions inevitably improve the danger of accidents, together with the discharge of radioactive substances in to the atmosphere.

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool started producing energy within the Nineteen Eighties.