EDF has extended the lifespan of four nuclear power plants in the UK as part of efforts to boost domestic energy security.
Heysham 2 (Lancashire) and Torness (East Lothian) will keep producing zero-carbon electricity for an additional two years, until March 2030, while Heysham 1 (Lancashire) and Hartlepool (Teesside) will produce power until March 2027, an extension of one year. EDF said it made the decision to extend after inspecting the four stations’ graphite cores and judging that it was safe to extend their operating lifespan.
The decision comes as the Hinkley Point C project faces repeated delays. The project, which will be the UK’s first new nuclear plant in a generation, was originally estimated to begin operations by 2023. But EDF now says the first generator won’t be ready until 2029 at the earliest, and potentially as late as 2031. The second generator will take around a year after the first one is brought online to become operational.
According to EDF, the decision to keep the...