Two UK nuclear power plants approved for life extension until March 2030

EDF Energy and Centrica announced on July 22 that the operational lives of the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power stations in the UK will be extended by another two years, until March 2030.

Located in northern England, the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power stations have a combined installed capacity of approximately 2.3 gigawatts. Both plants have previously received approval for multiple life extensions. This latest extension supports the UK's low-carbon electricity goal of sourcing approximately 95% of its power from low-carbon energy by 2030.

EDF Energy stated that the decision to extend operations will secure approximately 1,000 jobs at the two plants for the long term and could generate an additional 28 terawatt-hours of nuclear electricity over the two-year period—enough to meet the energy needs of 8.4 million households.

The decision follows a detailed review covering factors such as the technical condition of critical components (including boilers and graphite cores), supply chain resilience, and workforce planning.

Currently, EDF Energy holds an 80% stake in the UK's operational nuclear power stations, while Centrica holds the remaining 20%.