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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Power supplies in the U.K. are set to tighten following a decision by the subsidiary of French energy major Électricité de France SA (EPA:EDF) (Paris) to move the Dungeness B nuclear power station in Kent into the defuelling phase with "immediate effect."
EDF Energy, the operator of the U.K. 's remaining nuclear power fleet, said that it would immediately close and move to defueling the two advanced gas-cooled reactors at the 1,250-megawatt (MW) Dungeness B nuclear plant in southern England. This is a major U-turn for the company, which had already committed to operating Dungeness B until at least 2028. It is the third early nuclear plant closure announced by the company in less than a year. In September, EDF announced the planned early closure of the Hunterston B nuclear power plant in Scotland (990 MW) and its Hinkley Point B plant (940 MW) in western England due to graphite cracking problems. For additional information, see September 9, 2020, article - EDF Plans Early Closure of Hunterston Nuclear Plant in Scotland.
Since September 2018, the Dungeness B station has been in an extended outage with EDF stating that it had been managing a range of "unique, significant and ongoing technical challenges that are not found at the other six AGR power stations." Although many were overcome, new detailed analysis has further highlighted additional station-specific risks within some key components, including parts within the fuel assemblies.
John Benn, station director at Dungeness B, said: "EDF has had to make a hard decision--but it is the right one. It gives our teams, our community and our business a clear understanding of the future. This power station has been a cornerstone of life in Kent for decades. It is a very special place and the team has a real sense of family -- we are part of the community. I'm enormously proud of everything the team at Dungeness has achieved. Our low-carbon electricity has helped Britain over the past four decades and we have provided this part of Kent with vital jobs for generations. This marks the beginning of the next chapter in this station's story. We will now plan the defuelling operations, a job we expect will take several years, and one that provides ongoing opportunities for our staff and their specialist skills."
Industrial Info is tracking activity at all of the U.K.'s existing nuclear power plants, which account for roughly 16% of the country's power. Many of those are approaching the end of their operating lives, with half expected to close by 2025 and the rest by 2030. In the meantime, EDF is currently building the country's first new nuclear power plant in a generation--Hinkley Point C--which will provide 7% of the country's current electricity needs. It is running behind schedule and over budget. Earlier this year, EDF advised that first power is now not expected until June 2026, not the end of 2025, and costs are expected to rise by roughly £500 million ($684 million) to £23 billion ($31.5 billion).
In June last year, EDF submitted plans to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast of England at a cost of £18 billion ($22 billion). The 3.2-gigawatt Sizewell C will be a near replica of Hinkley Point C in Somerset. For additional information, see June 9, 2020, article - EDF Submits Plans for Sizewell C Nuclear Plant in U.K.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
EDF Energy, the operator of the U.K. 's remaining nuclear power fleet, said that it would immediately close and move to defueling the two advanced gas-cooled reactors at the 1,250-megawatt (MW) Dungeness B nuclear plant in southern England. This is a major U-turn for the company, which had already committed to operating Dungeness B until at least 2028. It is the third early nuclear plant closure announced by the company in less than a year. In September, EDF announced the planned early closure of the Hunterston B nuclear power plant in Scotland (990 MW) and its Hinkley Point B plant (940 MW) in western England due to graphite cracking problems. For additional information, see September 9, 2020, article - EDF Plans Early Closure of Hunterston Nuclear Plant in Scotland.
Since September 2018, the Dungeness B station has been in an extended outage with EDF stating that it had been managing a range of "unique, significant and ongoing technical challenges that are not found at the other six AGR power stations." Although many were overcome, new detailed analysis has further highlighted additional station-specific risks within some key components, including parts within the fuel assemblies.
John Benn, station director at Dungeness B, said: "EDF has had to make a hard decision--but it is the right one. It gives our teams, our community and our business a clear understanding of the future. This power station has been a cornerstone of life in Kent for decades. It is a very special place and the team has a real sense of family -- we are part of the community. I'm enormously proud of everything the team at Dungeness has achieved. Our low-carbon electricity has helped Britain over the past four decades and we have provided this part of Kent with vital jobs for generations. This marks the beginning of the next chapter in this station's story. We will now plan the defuelling operations, a job we expect will take several years, and one that provides ongoing opportunities for our staff and their specialist skills."
Industrial Info is tracking activity at all of the U.K.'s existing nuclear power plants, which account for roughly 16% of the country's power. Many of those are approaching the end of their operating lives, with half expected to close by 2025 and the rest by 2030. In the meantime, EDF is currently building the country's first new nuclear power plant in a generation--Hinkley Point C--which will provide 7% of the country's current electricity needs. It is running behind schedule and over budget. Earlier this year, EDF advised that first power is now not expected until June 2026, not the end of 2025, and costs are expected to rise by roughly £500 million ($684 million) to £23 billion ($31.5 billion).
In June last year, EDF submitted plans to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast of England at a cost of £18 billion ($22 billion). The 3.2-gigawatt Sizewell C will be a near replica of Hinkley Point C in Somerset. For additional information, see June 9, 2020, article - EDF Submits Plans for Sizewell C Nuclear Plant in U.K.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn.
