The UK's Dungeness B nuclear plant will continue to generate electricity until 2028. EDF Energy, which has recently invested £150 million investment in the two-unit advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR), announced a ten-year extension to its lifespan as part of a wider strategy to keep its eight-strong British fleet running at least until 2023.
The new schedule means that EDF's existing facilities will continue working until its new reactor at Hinkley Point C (which is currently subject to a final investment decision) is due to be commissioned.
This should enable a direct handover to "the next generation of nuclear power stations without the need for more fossil fuel", according to the company's CEO Vincent de Rivaz.
Keith Parker, chief executive of the UK Nuclear Industry Association, described the Dungeness B decision as "excellent news for the local, regional and national economy" and predicted that retaining the UK's AGRs until Hinkley Point C was available would avoid creating "millions of tones" of CO2.