Sizewell B Extension
Posted: 22nd January 2026
UK moves to extend life of Sizewell B nuclear plant by 20 years. EDF and
Centrica offer to invest £800mn if the government guarantees a long-term
price for the electricity it produces. The UK is poised to extend the life
of Sizewell B, a nuclear power station that supplies around 3 per cent of
the country’s electricity, for a further 20 years as it seeks to bridge a
gap in nuclear generation before new plants come online. EDF and Centrica
are in talks with the government over an investment of about £800mn to
extend the operation of the Suffolk plant from 2035 to 2055. One person
familiar with the negotiations said a deal could be agreed in the coming
months, subject to securing a long-term price for the electricity it
produces. Britain is facing a sharp fall in nuclear output later this
decade as much of its ageing reactor fleet is retired. New nuclear capacity
at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and at Sizewell C is not expected to begin
generating power until 2030 at the earliest, leaving a potential supply gap
in the interim. One person close to the discussions said the strike price
sought for Sizewell B would be below the £89 to £91 per megawatt hour
secured by offshore wind projects in a record auction earlier this month,
reflecting the lower risks of extending an existing, largely depreciated
asset, compared with building a new plant. EDF’s UK nuclear fleet provides
about 15 per cent of the country’s electricity. The company has already
extended the operating lives of four advanced gas-cooled reactors, although
these are approaching the end of their usable lives. The talks come as the
government concludes a consultation on whether existing nuclear plants
should be eligible for contracts for difference. In the consultation,
ministers said it was “important that existing generation can be
maintained wherever it is feasible and safe to do so”. EDF has previously
said there was an “obvious case” for extending Sizewell B but that
government support would be needed to unlock the investment.
FT 21st Jan 2026