Sizewell B nuclear power station to remain in operation until at least 2055

The UK government has confirmed a feed-in tariff for electricity generated by the Sizewell B plant over the 2035–2055 period, paving the way for an extension of the facility’s operating life. Sizewell B, which entered service in 1995, supplies around 3% of the electricity consumed in the United Kingdom. All British nuclear power stations except Sizewell B will close in the spring of 2030. The Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C plants, due to come online in 2030 for Hinkley Point and by the end of the decade for Sizewell C, will take over. The extended tariff will allow EDF Energy to invest £800 million to modernise the plant. The UK regulator (the Office for Nuclear Regulation) will have to issue an opinion on the extension of the facility’s operating life. The tariff negotiated between EDF and the British government stands at £70.50/MWh over the 2035–2055 period. The tariff is index-linked to inflation.