Sizewell B generates nearly 1.2 gigawatts of electricity and plays a key role in the country’s power supply, as nuclear energy provides about 12% of Britain’s total electricity. The possible extension would allow the station to operate for a further 20 years, from 2035 to 2055, requiring around £800 million in investment.
EDF said negotiations are ongoing to unlock funding for the project, while its partner Centrica, which holds a 20% stake, is also seeking to extend the life of the remaining AGR reactors until at least 2030. Supporting those reactors would cost about £1.2 billion over the next three years.
Britain faces concerns over a potential electricity supply gap as several ageing nuclear plants approach retirement. EDF is already building Hinkley Point C, its first new UK nuclear plant in over two decades, and is in the early stages of developing Sizewell C.