Energy producer and French state-owned EDF, has announced it will explore if there is a case to keep two British nuclear power plants open to combat the ongoing energy crisis.
The two nuclear power plants to be reviewed are based in Hartlepool and Heysham 1 on the north-west coast of England near Lancaster. Both plants had been scheduled to close in March 2024.
EDF said the review would be made “in light of the severity of the energy crisis and the results of recent graphite inspections” and that an extension would “depend on the results” over the coming months.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked turmoil in energy markets and sent gas and electricity prices soaring. It has also caused an international dash for gas supplies and raised concerns over potential blackouts this winter.
More recently, a series of leaks were detected along a stretch of Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines after explosions were detected by Swedish seismologists leading to suggestions of Russian sabotage on the undersea pipeline. It is believed to have released an estimated 400,000 tons of metric methane into the atmosphere and further accentuating Europe’s dependency on Russian gas and the need for countries to invest in alternative energy supplies.
EDF had already extended Heysham 1 and Hartlepool twice after they were due to run until 2014. After technical reviews, that was extended to 2019 and then, in 2016, a further five-year extension was approved after further reviews.
“Our priority in the next few years is to deliver as much output as we safely can from the existing fleet, to support security of supply and help preserve the UK’s nuclear skills,” said Managing Director of EDF’s Generation business Matt Sykes.
EDF operates all of Britain’s eight nuclear power plants, providing around 13% of the country’s electricity, and said it would invest £1 billion over 2023-25 to help the UK plants maintain output.
In August, the UK’s most productive nuclear power plant was switched off and closed its doors for good. Hinkley Point B contributed about 3% of the UK’s total yearly power before its closure, leading to many industry experts warning that this will lead to a substantial rise in the cost of energy at a time when prices are already at an all-time high.
All but one of Britain’s nuclear plants are scheduled to close by 2030, and EDF’s Hinkley Point C, the first new plant in more than 20 years, is expected to come online in 2026.
Britain is seeking to ramp up low-carbon nuclear power generation to help shore up its electricity supplies, while also meeting a climate target of net zero emissions by 2050, and has a goal of meeting around 25% of electricity demand with nuclear power by the same date. To help meet this target, the UK government has announced an independent 3-month review into the delivery of its net zero climate commitments.
