EDF, Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity that manages the country’s eight nuclear power station sites, has planned to invest a further £1.3billion in the UK’s five generating nuclear power stations over 2024-26, taking the total amount invested in the fleet to nearly £9billion since 2009.
EDF’s plans to invest further will help sustain output at current levels, boost energy security and cut carbon emissions. The more positive fleet outlook, and major new build programme, means EDF plans to hire over 1,000 people in 2024 across its various UK nuclear businesses.
The future investment plan for the operating fleet comes 15 years after EDF’s acquisition of British Energy PLC, a period in which £7.5billion (equivalent to £270 per household) 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.
Without EDF’s investment and expertise, Sizewell B power station would be the only operational nuclear power station in the UK today – and nuclear would provide just 3% of the country’s power consumption rather than the 13% it does account for. This would have meant even more reliance on gas, higher energy prices for customers and more carbon in the atmosphere. EDF is also responsible for defueling the AGR power stations, three of which have entered this phase since mid-2021. Sizewell B power station in Suffolk has so far generated over 250TWh in its 29 years of operation and has the potential to generate for at least a further 20 years beyond its current end of generation date of 2035.
