Nuclear power in England: Framatome to maintain Sizewell B until 2040
EDF and Framatome have extended their maintenance contract for Britain's only pressurised water reactor by 15 years. The plant is set to run 20 years longer than planned.
Archive image · Photo: John Fielding / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
French nuclear company Framatome will maintain the Sizewell B nuclear power plant in the English county of Suffolk for another 15 years. Framatome and operator EDF extended their long-term service agreement until 2040, it was announced on Friday. Framatome has been responsible for maintenance and outages at the plant since 2008. With a capacity of 1,198 megawatts, Sizewell B is Britain's only pressurised water reactor.
The plant began operating in 1995 and was originally designed for 40 years, until 2035. In July 2026, the British government and EDF agreed on financing for a 20-year lifetime extension. EDF plans to invest 800 million pounds in refurbishment during planned outages over the next 15 years. The agreement is due to be finalised later this year.
Since 1995, Sizewell B has generated more than 270 terawatt hours of electricity, and around 900 people work at the plant. The contract is "built on mutual trust", said John Munro, managing director of EDF UK's nuclear operations. He also referred to the EPR reactors under construction at Hinkley Point C, as well as Sizewell C.