EDF’s plans to invest a further £1.3bn in the UK’s five generating nuclear power stations over the 2024-26 period will help sustain output at current levels.

EDF manages eight nuclear power station sites, five that are generating and three that are now in the defueling phase, the first stage of decommissioning. UK nuclear output in 2023 was 37.3TWh, 15 per cent lower than 2022 due to station closures and statutory outages but nearly four times the forecast when EDF acquired the fleet in 2009.

Dr Mark Hartley, MD of EDF’s Nuclear Operations business, said “EDF has built a strong track record of safely operating 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 from the four AGR stations for 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.”

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