EDF extends life of Lancashire power plant for at least five years

EDF Energy has confirmed that its Lancashire power plant will now be operational until at least 2024.

The French energy giant recently announced that Heysham along with three more of its nuclear power plants in the UK will run for an extended period of time.

Heysham 1 and a plant in Hartlepool, which were both due to be decommissioned in 2019, will now operate for a further five years until 2024.

Heysham 2 and Torness in Scotland will run for an additional seven years until 2030.

The plants, which employ around 2,000 people and 1,000 contractors, provides electricity to about a quarter of the UK’s homes.

Vincent de Rivaz, EDF’s chief executive, said the decision to extend the pants’ life came after “extensive technical and safety reviews.”

He added: “Our continuing investment, our expertise and the professional relationship we have with the safety regulator means we can safely prolong the operating life of our nuclear power stations.

“Their excellent output shows that reliability is improving whilst their safety and environmental performance is higher than ever.”

In addition, EDF has still yet to make a final investment in a new nuclear power station at Hinckley Point in Somerset.

The French firm has agreed a deal in principle for the £18bn project under which China General Nuclear Power Corporation will pay a third of the cost, but it has been reported that EDF is struggling to generate the money for its stake.