EDF signals ageing British nuclear fleet can run into ‘the 2030s’
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The company stated its intention on Monday to make the best possible use of the remaining gas-cooled nuclear reactors through to "2030 and beyond", subject to agreement with the relevant authorities.
It's the most convincing proof so far that EDF, which is owned by the French state, thinks the plants can operate well beyond their intended lifespans, especially after recent extensions were announced in December.
– with sources from wind, solar, storage, and nuclear power – in only five years.
Last Monday, EDF highlighted the capability of nuclear power plants to maintain the provision of electricity when the output from wind and solar farms falls due to periods of "dunkelflaute", characterised by grey, windless weather.
EDF said: "There's been a spell of really calm and gloomy weather this winter, resulting in low output from renewable energy sources like wind and sunshine."
For several periods, natural gas was meeting over 60% of our electricity demand, driving up electricity costs and increasing our greenhouse gas emissions.
A low-carbon future calls for a power system that is largely supplied by renewable energy sources, supported by new nuclear power from Britain, in order to reduce electricity costs, ensure energy independence and create thousands of quality jobs that will help revitalize communities nationally.
EDF's two oldest nuclear power stations, Heysham 1 in Lancashire and Hartlepool on Teesside, will now be taken offline in 2027, rather than the previously planned spring 2026. The shutdown dates for the other two stations, Heysham 2 and Torness in East Lothian, have been put back from 2028 to 2030.
In a recent fleet update, EDF has revealed a potential possibility for all four plants to continue operating until at least 2030.
Sizewell C, Hinkley Point C, and potentially small modular reactors (SMRs).
It adds: “The aim is to keep generating at these stations for as long as it is a safe and commercially sensible thing to do.”
Heysham 1, Heysham 2, Hartlepool, and Torness all make use of gas-cooled reactors (AGRs) and were brought into operation during the 1980s.
EDF also owns Sizewell B, in Suffolk, a more modern reactor which began operating in the 1990s.
Working alongside Sizewell B, which EDF aims to keep operational until the 2050s, the overall plant produced approximately 13pc of Britain’s total electricity demand last year.
Seven AGR nuclear power plants were initially operational, with EDF has already decommissioned and shut down Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B for decommissioning.
Under plans made when the company first bought the seven plants in 2009, they would have closed by 2023.
In Monday's fleet update, EDF stated that the likelihood of continuing to operate the remaining four AGRs would be influenced most by the state of the graphite within the reactor cores.
Fissures in the graphite lining can occur over time, potentially obstructing the control rods from being lowered to reduce the output - or to shut down the reactor in the event of an emergency.
To continue operating, EDF must convince regulators that this won't happen and that the power station could still spontaneously shut down in the event of a "one in 10,000 year" earthquake, much bigger than anything the UK has ever suffered.
A confidential note distributed to staff in the UK, EDF underlined that it was of the view that the AGRs could potentially operate beyond the scope of the latest proposed extensions.
Hartlepool and Heysham 1 reactors are the eldest, having commenced operations in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
As a precautionary measure, the company chose to grant short extensions for the two plants in the previous year, citing "significant milestones" scheduled for 2025.
These encompass reactor core sampling and updates on compliance from the Office for Nonuclear Regulation (ONR) regarding the safety case "for operation beyond 2027".
In their latest shutdown dates, EDF communicated this to employees: “Although our objective is still to produce electricity beyond the revised projections at all four power stations, we will proceed cautiously, relying on our team's expertise and having nuclear safety as our top priority.”
Across Britain, EDF's UK nuclear operations are employing approximately 5,000 members of staff; EDF itself estimates that its power stations provide support for a total of around 31,000 jobs once suppliers and contractors are factored in too.
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