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Union calls for Heysham nuclear power station to remain active

Tuesday, 28 June 2022 at 12:47

The Prospect union is calling on the government to investigate extending the life of Heysham nuclear power station.

Heysham 1 is due to end nuclear energy production and go into a decommissioning phase in 2024, with Heysham 2 following in 2028.

With several nuclear power stations are due to come offline in the coming years, the union claim this reduces generating capacity and potentially increases reliance on expensive gas imports, compounding the current price crisis.

Prospect senior deputy general secretary Sue Ferns said: “Dither and delay by the Government on extending the life of Hinkley Point B (in Somerset, which closes in August) has left us with less domestic energy output this winter, and more dependent on volatile gas imports – further pushing up prices for consumers.

“With nuclear plants at Heysham and Hartlepool due to close in 2024, the Government must start working with EDF immediately to explore safely extending the plants’ lives to help us meet our energy security and net zero goals.

“One unnecessary closure might be seen as unfortunate, but two or three would be utterly careless. The energy crisis is not going to go away any time soon. The government has to get a grip and come up with a workable plan for the years ahead.”

In April it was revealed that Heysham nuclear power production could be extended after the site was named in a major new UK government energy strategy.

The other sites are Hinkley, Sizewell, Hartlepool, Bradwell, Wylfa, Oldbury and Moorside.

Up to eight more nuclear reactors could be approved across these sites in the coming years, with the government now aiming to deliver the equivalent of one reactor per year, rather than one a decade.

The EDF-owned Heysham site could be chosen to house a new reactor.

You can read the British energy security strategy here

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