EDF to invest further £1.3b in five UK nuclear power stations

By Nicky Godding

9 January 2024

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Big Carl’s spectacular dome lift caps the year at Hinkley Point C

EDF Energy, which retains its major nuclear technical skills base in Gloucester, has said today that it plans to invest a further £1.3 billion in the UK's five generation nuclear power stations over the 2024-26 period, which will help sustain output at current levels and boost the UK's energy security.

This strategy, and major new build programme, means EDF plans to hire more than 1,000 people in 2024 across its various UK nuclear businesses.

EDF manages the UK’s eight nuclear power station sites, five that are generating (Sizewell B, Torness, Heysham 2, Heysham 1, Hartlepool) and three that are defueling (Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B).

The future investment plan for the operating fleet comes 15 years after The French state-owned firm's acquisition of British Energy Plc, a period in which – the company says, £7.5 billion has already been invested in the UK's eight nuclear power stations, alongside major investment into the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C projects. Three of those eight stations are now in the defueling phase, the first stage of decommissioning.

EDF said that without its investment, Sizewell B would be the UK's only remaining operational nuclear power station, and nuclear would provide just three per cent of the UK's power consumption rather than the 13 per cent it does account for.

Dr Mark Hartley, Managing Director of EDF's Nuclear Operations Business, said: "EDF has built a strong track record of safely operation the UK's existing nuclear fleet, delivering over 35 per cent more clean power than initially forecast. Looking ahead, our aim is to maintain output for the four AGR stations as long as possible and extend Sizewell B by a further 20 years, out to 2055. Maximising output also helps preserve the critical nuclear skills and capabilities that will be valuable for future nuclear projects."

EDF Energy is currently defueling three AGR power stations: Hunterston B on the West Coast of Scotland, Hinkley Point B in Somerset and Dungeness B in Kent.

Sizewell B power station in Suffolk has so far generated more than 250Twh in its 29 years of operation and has the potential to generate for at least a further 20 years behind its current end of operation date of 2035, the company said. EDF is investing in the station to allow a final investment decision to be taken on this next year. It said securing a sustainable commercial model is necessary to enable such a decision.

At Hinkley Point C EDF is building two new nuclear reactors, the first in a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain providing zero-carbon electricity for around six million homes. In December the dome for Hinkley Point C’s first reactor building was successfully lifted into place. The major milestone closes the roof on the first reactor building, allowing the first nuclear reactor to be installed this year.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.