en.Wedoany.com Reported - EDF has announced that its Sizewell B nuclear power station will continue operating until 2055 under a life extension agreement, extending its original retirement date by 20 years. This is a key measure for the UK to reduce energy costs and enhance energy security.
Under a Contracts for Difference agreement signed between EDF and the UK government, the station will supply electricity from 2035 at a fixed cost of £70.50 per megawatt-hour at 2025 price levels. British energy company Centrica will provide investment support for this cost. The UK government believes the agreement helps reduce energy system costs and enhance energy security.
Located in Suffolk, Sizewell B is the UK's only pressurised water reactor, generating approximately 9 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, accounting for about 3% of the UK's total electricity demand.
If this agreement is implemented, EDF will invest approximately £800 million (about $1 billion) in the station for key maintenance and upgrades, including replacing infrastructure, installing new automated plant operating systems and environmental monitoring systems. These systems are similar to those being built at Hinkley Point C. EDF stated that the relevant work will be completed over the next 15 years during the station's planned outages, which occur every 18 months.
A spokesperson for the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation stated that to achieve the goals declared by EDF, the safety case for Sizewell B may need to be updated, along with investment in the station to maintain equipment reliability and retain necessary personnel and skills throughout the extended operating period. The spokesperson emphasised that the continued safe and secure operation of any nuclear power station must be fully demonstrated through ongoing regulation, based on a comprehensive, appropriate, and targeted inspection and assessment regime.
The announcement of the fixed energy price for the Sizewell B life extension comes as costs continue to rise for EDF's highly anticipated and expensive Sizewell C nuclear project. The Sizewell C project is estimated to cost around £38 billion, with funding including construction costs borne by taxpayers. The UK's National Audit Office stated that this model transfers more risk to taxpayers, and the financing model relies on a major assumption: once the station is operational, an additional £4 on energy bills will save consumers approximately £18 billion. Taxpayers began paying for the Sizewell C project in November 2025, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero predicts that energy costs will rise to between £17 and £19 by the time the station is expected to become operational in 2039.
