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Working life of ageing Heysham nuclear power plant to be further extended

Energy firm EDF has unveiled plans

The ageing Heysham 1 nuclear power station, which was earmarked for closure in March next year, is to be kept open until 2026.

Energy firm EDF has unveiled plans to keep two of the UK's five remaining nuclear stations open beyond their original closure date - the other being Hartlepool.

The move is aimed at supporting energy supply security, reducing the demand for imported gas and cutting carbon emissions.

The Heysham One plant towers over the port of Heysham. Alongside it is the newer Heysham 2 plant.

Both Heysham 1 and Hartlepool came on stream in 1983.

They each have two advanced gas-cooled reactors and were originally supposed to close in 2014. Between them they provide 5 per cent of the UK's electricity.

A statement from EDF to the BBC said the decision to keep Heysham 1 and Hartlepool operational had been taken following a rigorous review of the technical and commercial cases for doing so. Inspections of the reactor cores in 2022 were said to have 'increased confidence that the stations can generate for longer and continue to meet stringent regulatory standards.'

The Heysham 1 and 2 plants and the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria are the closest nuclear facilities to the Isle of Man.

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