Why are EDF and Centrica extending the operational lives of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power plants?

EDF and Centrica are extending the lives of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power plants to March 2030 to help Britain achieve its goal of generating about 95% of its electricity from low-carbon sources by 2030; the decision followed a detailed review covering technical aspects such as the condition of the boilers and graphite cores, as well as supply chain resilience and workforce planning.

What are the expected benefits of extending the operation of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool until 2030?

The extension will support 1,000 jobs across the two sites and could boost nuclear output by 28 terawatt hours over the two-year period — enough to power 8.4 million homes — while the plants have a combined capacity of about 2.3 gigawatts and have undergone several prior lifetime extensions.

EDF and Centrica to extend life of two UK nuclear power plants to 2030

Jul 22, 2026

EDF and Centrica will extend the operation of UK's Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear plants to March 2030, adding 28 TWh of low-carbon capacity and supporting 1,000 jobs.

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