UK energy security supported by further nuclear power station life extensions

• Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power stations are to generate to March 2030 following a review of lifetimes
• The decision, taken by EDF, is set to boost nuclear output by 28TWh over the two-year extension, supporting the UK’s energy security during a period of major system change
• More than 1000 jobs in the north-east and north-west of England will be supported for longer.

Two nuclear power stations are each set to generate for two years longer in a boost to the UK’s energy security and to local employment.

Heysham 1 in Lancashire and Hartlepool in Teesside are now expected to produce low carbon electricity until March 2030 after a decision by operator, EDF.

As well as supporting more than 1000 jobs across the two sites for longer, extending the generating lives of these plants could boost nuclear output by 28TWh over the two-year period, enough to power 8.4 million homes.

EDF’s Managing Director of Nuclear Operations, John Munro, said: “We have been clear it is our ambition to generate from these stations for as long as it is safe and commercially viable to do so it is great to be able to confirm a further two-year extension for Heysham 1 and Hartlepool.

“The AGR stations have been the backbone of secure, zero carbon generation in the UK for five decades. The nuclear fleet also has a key role in maintaining grid stability, which is so important as the overall system becomes led by renewables. Today’s decision retains stable baseload, domestic generation, reducing reliance on imports during tighter periods.” 

Together with today’s announcement, the UK Government’s commitment to delivering the recommendations from the Fingleton Review sends a positive signal about supporting a secure low carbon electricity system for the country. 

When EDF acquired the fleet in 2009 all seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) stations were scheduled to be offline by 2023, but a series of life extensions mean four of those stations are still generating with three now in various stages of defueling or decommissioning.

John continued: “When nuclear goes offline it is often replaced with gas generation. If we are serious about reducing the UK’s reliance on gas and retaining system stability, it makes sense to keep these stations online to support energy security and our carbon targets.”

Keeping these stations online will retain around 12% of the UK’s nuclear generation in the mix in 2028 and the volume of gas they could avoid in each year of the extension is equal to 25 Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) cargoes or 20% of the LNG imports in 2025.

The decision comes following a detailed review covering technical aspects like the condition of the boilers and the graphite cores as well as supply chain resilience and workforce planning. 

EDF will continue to keep AGR lifetimes under review to establish whether further life extensions can be achieved. 

Notes to Editors  

• The decision to change the end of generation dates for the two stations was taken following a series of EDF executive and licensee board meetings on 22 July 2026.  
• Decisions on end of generation dates for EDF’s nuclear power stations in the UK are independent of the regulators or government and are taken by EDF’s licensee board following recommendations from EDF Nuclear Generation Limited’s Executive.  
• This latest life extension is now EDF’s most likely view, and the market has been notified accordingly.  
• These dates are forecasts, and the precise dates will be determined by the results of regular graphite inspections and how those results are interpreted within EDF and by the independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation.  
• End of generation dates are kept under review and revised based on the best information available at the time.  
• Prior to this decision, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool power stations were due to move into defueling in March 2028 based on a review in September 2025.  
• Find out more about the stations here. 
• The lifetimes of Torness and Heysham 2 were not reviewed as part of this process.