EDF Energy Plans $1.6 Billion to Extend UK Nuclear Reactors Until 2030

EDF Energy, the British subsidiary of the French group, operates five nuclear power plants in the United Kingdom: Sizewell B, Torness, Heysham 2, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool. The company acquired these sites when it purchased British Energy in 2009. Three other plants, Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B, have entered the decommissioning phase. Output Down 12% in 2025 According to data released by the company, total output from the five operating plants reached 32.9 TWh in 2025. This volume represents 12% of UK electricity consumption. However, output was down 12% compared to 2024, primarily due to an extended outage at the Hartlepool plant. For the coming years, EDF Energy forecasts output of approximately 36 TWh in 2026, then 37 TWh in 2027. The company states that current output exceeds initial forecasts established at the time of the fleet acquisition in 2009 by more than triple. The Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGR) at Torness and Heysham 2, originally scheduled to cease operations in 2023, remain in service thanks to investments made. $11.6 Billion Invested Since 2009 Since the acquisition, EDF Energy has invested $11.6 billion (£8.6 billion) in its UK nuclear fleet. The company announces an additional investment of more than $1.6 billion (£1.2 billion) over the 2026-2028 period. These efforts have achieved 38 cumulative years of life extensions across all AGR plants, generating an additional 263 TWh of low-carbon electricity. This volume exceeds Heysham 1's total lifetime output of 254 TWh. In September 2025, the estimated lifetimes of the Hartlepool and Heysham 1 plants were extended by an additional year, until March 2028. The company has stated its ambition to maintain output from its four AGR plants until at least 2030, subject to inspections, plant reliability and regulatory support. Sizewell B: 20-Year Extension Under Consideration The Sizewell B pressurized water reactor (PWR) delivered what the operator described as exceptional performance in 2025, achieving a load factor of 99% and generating 10.4 TWh. EDF Energy considers that operation beyond 2035, until at least 2055, would be technically feasible. The company notes that similar plants worldwide have achieved such operating lifetimes. The UK Government has expressed concerns about the retirement of the AGRs, which would risk creating a gap in the country's low-carbon electricity supply. EDF Energy states it is working with authorities and private companies to develop new nuclear projects at the Cottam, Hartlepool, Heysham and Torness sites. Construction of Hinkley Point C continues in Somerset, while plans for Sizewell C, a replica of that plant, are at an advanced stage. Two Decommissioning Plants to Transfer in 2026 Among the three AGR plants undergoing decommissioning, Hunterston B completed its defueling in April, becoming the first in the fleet to be declared completely free of spent nuclear fuel. Hinkley Point B completed the removal of its spent fuel in November. Once defueling is complete, each site will be transferred to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), whose subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services will carry out the subsequent phases. Hunterston B will transfer in April 2026, followed by Hinkley Point B in October 2026.

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