French energy group EDF admits there is a "
risk
" that two nuclear power plants in the UK will shut down earlier than expected due to safety concerns, further complicating the country's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.
Read also: Nuclear: around fifty reactors are under construction around the world
Risks of breaches in reactors
Plants at Torness in Scotland and Heysham 2 in North West England are scheduled to shut down in 2030 but "
that could happen sooner
" because of the likelihood of breaches in the reactors, says Richard Bradfield, director technical at EDF, quoted by the daily Times Monday. "
There is a risk for (the deadline) of 2030 but nothing has changed so far,
" said a spokesperson for the group for the United Kingdom.
Richard Bradfield expects breaches to appear quickly in two other older plants in the country, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool, which are scheduled to close in 2024. A week ago, EDF announced it would shut down its nuclear plant from Dungeness B, in the south of England, shut down since 2018 due to technical issues.
Read also: Nuclear power and renewables condemned to get along
Threatened carbon neutrality strategy
The United Kingdom is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and these difficulties will greatly complicate its energy transition. According to the
Times
, these problems with EDF's nuclear fleet in the United Kingdom illustrate "
the failing health of the
British
nuclear fleet
" and "
raise questions about Britain's ability to decarbonize its electricity supply
" while adding water to the mill of detractors of nuclear energy.
As for the European pressurized nuclear reactor project EPR which was selected for a power plant under construction at Hinkley in England, it is accumulating delays and additional costs. The start of electricity production by the first of two reactors planned on this site is now expected in June 2026 instead of the end of 2025 as initially announced. The costs of the project have been increased: between 22 and 23 billion pounds now, against 21.5-22.5 billion previously. There is also still a "
risk
" of delay of 15 and 9 months on the two reactors, which would result in a new additional cost.
