Why the decision to keep Hartlepool ’ s nuclear turbines turning through to 2027 is great news for the region
FEATURE
POWERING
Punching – Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station covers just 0.08 square miles but has added more than £ 12bn of economic value to the nation since 1983 .
ON
Why the decision to keep Hartlepool ’ s nuclear turbines turning through to 2027 is great news for the region
Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station has been quietly servicing the nation ’ s electricity needs for decades .
It has been churning out megawatts of power since 1983 and is undoubtedly one of the North-East ’ s all-time Premier League power stations .
It certainly tops the regional green power league table , having generated more than enough power to meet the needs of every home in the region for more than 50 years .
In a typical year , the station generates so much electricity it could more than meet the needs of every home from Scarborough to Scotland , which is an astonishing feat for an ageing piece of technology .
When the site was built , between 1969 and 1983 , it was expected to generate power for approximately 25 years .
The engineers who designed Hartlepool Power Station , with pen and paper before the Moon landings , made estimations about output and expected lifetime but could not be precisely sure how the plant , and nuclear reactors at its heart , would behave over many years of production .
When the plant ’ s initial end of generation date approached in 2007 , the then industry regulator said it could continue providing power for five more years , until 2014 .
In 2009 , EDF bought the UK nuclear fleet and in 2010 announced that Hartlepool would keep generating until 2019 .
Further extensions came in 2016 and 2023 , when it was decided the station ’ s turbines would keep turning until 2026 .
Then , in December 2024 , days after the Tees Business before this one was published , the plant ’ s life was once again extended - this time to March 2027 .
And Hartlepool Station director Mark Lees says these extensions matter enormously for several reasons .
“ First , it ’ s more zero-carbon power for the nation ,” he said . “ Second , it retains vital nuclear skill sets in the Tees Valley for even longer . Third , it means ongoing and significant investment in the power station .”
Without the extensions , Hartlepool Power Station would have stopped generating some 16 years ago . It would now be empty of nuclear fuel and likely be in the process of being dismantled .
“ Instead of carbon-free nuclear electricity , the UK would likely have relied on gas to generate the power we need ,” says Mark . “ And in doing so that would have led to another 136m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere .
“ It would also mean Hartlepool would have lost hundreds of highly skilled nuclear professionals – folks who have skills vital to the future of the UK ’ s energy industry , not just because they are nuclear but
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