Ministers are running out of time to persuade EDF to apply for postponement of shutdown, say industry insiders
Ministers have just weeks to intervene to extend the life of the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station, industry sources have warned, as officials raise concerns over the danger of blackouts this winter.
The two reactors of the Somerset nuclear power station are due to be shut down on 8 July and 1 August, removing nearly a gigawatt of power generation capacity from the UK’s system – enough to power 1.5m homes – and as the nights draw in, the war in Ukraine is expected to weigh heavily on electricity supplies.