Recommendation 11

EDFE has recently brought forward the closure date for five out of the seven AGR stations. EDFE told us it expects the stations to stop operating at their current closure dates but acknowledged that early closure was always a risk. Dungeness B was due to close in 2028 but due to technical reasons shut in 2021. EDFE estimates that this early and unplanned closure will cost an additional £0.5 billion to £1.0 billion to defuel. The impact of this early closure was not included in the estimate of decommissioning costs of £23.5 billion reported at the end of 202–21. The Department confirmed that it expected the impact of the closure to be reflected in the next revision to the decommissioning estimates.17 13 Committee of Public Accounts, The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s management of the Magnox contract, Twenty-Eighth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 653, 27 November 2020 14 Qq 12, 64 15 Qq 12, 31–32; C&AG’s Report paras 10, 15 16 Qq 34, 85; C&AG’s report para 10 17 Qq 6–8, 38–39; C&AG’s report paras 6, 10, 2.7, 3.13 12 The future of the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors Financial incentives for decommissioning