EDF Energy has ruled out postponing the shutdown of the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in the UK, after the UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng had suggested that Britain was considering extending its life. A source close to Kwarteng said that, provided it complied with safety certification, continuing operation of the plant would help secure electricity supplies during the winter if the war in Ukraine was still ongoing.
EDF Energy sent a memo to staff in which it said that while it is “technically feasible” to extend operations at the power station for up to six months, but that the time required to achieve this has “now run out”. It would not postpone closure of the two reactors, which are scheduled to be shut down on 8 July and 1 August.