Closure of four ageing nuclear power stations has been delayed amid delays to new plants coming on stream.

The stations at Torness in East Lothian, Hartlepool on Teesside and two plants Heysham in Lancashire will be reprieved by EDF, the French state company that owns and operates them alongside Centrica.

EDF said this would “boost energy security and reduce dependence on imported gas”.

New twin reactors at Hinkley Point in Gloucestershire have been delayed and there and there has been no update on a new facility at Sizewell in Suffolk. A final shortlist for small modular nuclear plants is expected in the spring.

The four stations that will remain operational have the capacity to produce 4.6GW of electricity.

The advanced gas cooled reactors at Heysham 2 and Torness will remain in production until March 2030, beyond their planned closure in 2028.

Heysham 1 and Hartlepool will stay open until March 2027. They were due to be closed this year but this was extended to 2026.

All four began operating in the 1980s during the Conservative governments battles with the coal miners, though the Hartlepool plant had been planned in the 1960s, finally being brought into operation in 1985. The Torness plant opened in 1988.

Britain has not built a new nuclear power plant since the Sizewell B reactor, on the Suffolk coast, was commissioned in 1995.

EDF said: “Four nuclear power stations will generate for longer in a boost to the UK’s energy security and clean power targets.

“As well as bolstering energy security, the decision supports plans for the rapid expansion of renewables by helping to maintain grid stability. It also helps limit the UK’s dependence on imported gas.”

Mark Hartley, managing director of EDF’s UK nuclear operations, said: “When EDF acquired these stations in 2009 they were all due to end generation by early 2023 which would have left the UK with just one generating nuclear station at Sizewell B.

“Careful stewardship and around £8 billion of investment since 2009 has seen several life extensions for these stations and much higher output than was predicted.”

Chris O’Shea, Centrica group chief executive said: “At a time when energy security is uppermost in people’s mind, I’m delighted that we’re able to extend the operating window of the UK’s nuclear fleet, which is critical to UK security of supply and the country’s net zero ambitions.

“In an energy system that is becoming ever more intermittent, baseload power generation that doesn’t depend on the sun shining and the wind blowing is essential to keeping the lights on.

“There is no silver bullet that will achieve net zero, but a diversified energy system underpinned by nuclear power is a positive further step towards a greener, fairer future.”

He said a further extension provides the time necessary to develop other zero carbon options such as new nuclear and hydrogen fired generation.

“We must move at a faster pace to ensure that these replacement technologies are deployed in time,” he said. 

Sizewell B is a different type of nuclear power station, and its lifetime was not reviewed as part of this process. Centrica said there is an opportunity to extend its lifetime for a further 20 years, out to 2055. This will require securing a sustainable commercial model before an investment decision is taken. 

Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and net zero, described the extensions as “a major win for our energy independence, powering up to 11.6m homes for longer while supporting good jobs across Lancashire, Teesside and East Lothian.

“We can’t achieve clean power by 2030 without nuclear, which provides an all-important steady supply of homegrown clean energy.

“This will come alongside our backing for new nuclear including supporting the completion of Hinkley Point C, confirming £2.7bn for Sizewell C, and pressing on with contract negotiations for our small modular reactor competition,”

The SNP government remains opposed to new nuclear energy plants being built in Scotland.

* The majority of Scottish business leaders believe that GB Energy’s decision to locate its headquarters in Scotland is poised to deliver substantial benefits across the country, according to a recent survey conducted by international law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson.

Eight in ten (81%) of respondents believe that GB Energy’s presence will positively impact the Scottish economy.

More than half (54%) think it is likely that GB Energy will reach its target of creating 650,000 jobs by 2030.

The same number foresee benefits to local businesses and suppliers, while half anticipate increased investment in Scotland’s clean energy potential.

Richard Cockburn, head of energy at Womble Bond Dickinson, said: “GB Energy’s decision to base its headquarters in Scotland marks a key milestone for the country’s renewable energy sector and further underpins Scotland’s role as a leading centre for clean energy.”