EDF and UK Government Move Forward With Regulated Framework for Sizewell B Nuclear Power Generation

EDF and UK Government Move Forward With Regulated Framework for Sizewell B Nuclear Power Generation

(IN BRIEF) EDF and the UK Government have signed Heads of Terms for a Contract for Difference agreement to support a 20-year life extension for Sizewell B in Suffolk. The agreement would allow the nuclear power station, which had been due to stop generating in 2035, to continue operating until 2055. The proposed CfD includes a strike price of £70.50/MWh in 2025 prices, with the final agreement expected later this year. EDF will fund around £800 million of refurbishment work over the next 15 years, carried out during planned outages to reduce disruption to electricity generation. Sizewell B is the UK’s only Pressurised Water Reactor and has produced more than 270TWh of low-carbon electricity since 1995. The extension could add around 180TWh of further generation, support the UK’s energy security, preserve around 900 skilled jobs in Suffolk and maintain a reliable source of clean baseload power.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 9-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — EDF and the UK Government have signed Heads of Terms for a Contract for Difference agreement that would support the continued operation of Sizewell B in Suffolk until 2055.

The agreement represents an important step toward extending the life of the nuclear power station by 20 years, securing long-term low-carbon electricity generation and supporting around 900 skilled jobs at the site.

Sizewell B began operating in 1995 and has generated more than 270 terawatt hours of low-carbon electricity since commissioning. That output is equivalent to more than 100 years of electricity consumption for every household in Suffolk and Norfolk. The station had previously been expected to stop generating in 2035.

Under the proposed Contract for Difference framework, Sizewell B would continue operating from 2035 to 2055. The agreement includes a strike price of £70.50/MWh, based on 2025 prices. The UK Government and EDF are expected to finalise the CfD later this year.

EDF will fund a major refurbishment programme at the nuclear power station over the next 15 years, with investment of around £800 million. The works will be carried out during planned outages, which take place approximately every 18 months, allowing critical upgrades to be completed while minimising periods when the station is not producing electricity.

Sizewell B is the UK’s only Pressurised Water Reactor and provides baseload power that is available around the clock in all weather conditions. Extending its operational life is expected to help increase the UK’s sovereign clean energy generation in a cost-effective way.

Simone Rossi, Chief Executive Officer of EDF UK, said recent global events have repeatedly shown the importance of securing long-term, low-carbon electricity generated in the UK.

“Global events demonstrate time and again how vital it is for the UK to secure long term, low-carbon, homegrown electricity which protects British households and businesses from market volatility,” said Rossi. “Extending the life of the plants we already have alongside building new ones is central to EDF’s strategy.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said nuclear power remains important to the UK’s energy security and that the extension will help provide the clean power the country needs.

Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said the agreement protects billpayers, strengthens energy security and helps maintain skilled employment in Suffolk. He said backing Sizewell B supports the Government’s ambition for a renewed era of nuclear power.

Sizewell B produces an average of around 9TWh of electricity each year and has delivered more than £15 billion in economic value since entering operation. The station supports approximately 900 jobs and pays around £50 million in salaries to staff each year.

The 20-year extension could enable Sizewell B to generate around an additional 180TWh of electricity.

The refurbishment programme will include a new environmental monitoring system, similar to the system being introduced at Hinkley Point C, along with new automated plant monitoring systems. Investment will also cover the replacement of pipework, valves and pumps across the site, supporting efficient operation through to 2055.

Additional funding will be allocated to ongoing detailed technical analysis and plant inspections as part of the life extension programme.

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SOURCE: EDF