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Sizewell B nuclear plant extended another 20 years to 2055
The deal extends the plant’s operating life from 2035 to 2055 and is expected to support hundreds of jobs, alongside about £800m of EDF plant investment later this year.
BBC Business reports that EDF has agreed with the UK government to extend the operating life of the Sizewell B nuclear power plant on the East Coast by another 20 years, pushing its end date from 2035 to 2055.
Sizewell B started operating in 1995 and is currently the country’s only pressurised water reactor. EDF says it supplies power to more than two million homes and generates 3% of the UK’s energy, and the company says the extended life would be enough electricity to meet every home in East Anglia’s needs for almost 45 years.
EDF employs 620 staff and around 300 contractors at the site, and the company says the agreement would safeguard hundreds of jobs. The arrangement is also expected to enable about £800m of plant investment by EDF, with details due to be finalised later in the year.
The government described keeping the plant open until 2055 as positive, while a campaign group, Together Against Sizewell C (TASC), raised concerns about financial and environmental impacts for future generations. BBC Business adds that TASC also argued nuclear waste and the security risks of concentrating power generation in East Suffolk create long term liabilities, including concerns about potential targets amid global conflicts.