French energy firm EDF will extend the life of four of its eight nuclear power plants in the UK. Heysham 1 and Hartlepool will have their life extended by five years until 2024, while Heysham 2 and Torness will see their closure dates pushed back by seven years to 2030. Meanwhile, EDF said its 2015 profits fell 68% to €1.18bn mainly due to writedowns on coal-fired plants. EDF said its decision to extend the life of its plants followed “extensive technical and safety reviews”. Chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “Our continuing investment, our expertise and the professional relationship we have with the safety regulator means we can safely prolong the operating life of our nuclear power stations. “Their excellent output shows that reliability is improving whilst their safety and environmental performance is higher than ever.” Meanwhile, EDF has yet to finalise the investment for a new nuclear plant to be built at Hinkley Point in Somerset.
BBC 16th Feb 2016 read more »
EDF Energy has announced plans to extend the life of four UK nuclear power stations by up to seven years, amidst falling profits in the UK and across Europe. The French energy giant announced new closure dates for nuclear power stations in Lancashire (2024), Teesside (2030) and East Lothian (2030). It said the carbon price floor and capacity market gave it the confidence required to continue to invest in the stations. The company also signaled confidence in the widely debated future of its new nuclear power station, Hinkley Point C. It said: “Hinkley Point C is a strong project which is fully ready for a final investment decision and successful construction. Final steps are well in hand to enable the full construction phase to be launched very soon.”
Utility Week 16th Feb 2016 read more »
Herald 16th Feb 2016 read more »
Energy Voice 16th Feb 2016 read more »