Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
We asked whether there could be value in reusing the AGR sites, given the existing...
Conclusion
We asked whether there could be value in reusing the AGR sites, given the existing support in those communities for nuclear power. In particular, we asked the Department what work it was doing to give more clarity to the providers of small modular reactors about potential plans for these sites. Both the NDA and EDFE told us they were keen to make their sites available for small modular reactor development, and had held preliminary discussions with possible suppliers of advanced or small modular reactors. As these sites are already licensed for nuclear activity and close to the electrical grid, the NDA confirmed that in theory all of the sites could potentially be made available.33 Transferring the AGR stations to the NDA
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
4: PAC conclusion: EDFE’s timetable for the closure of the stations will result in a significant reduction in the UK’s generating capacity until new capacity comes online. 4a: PAC recommendation: The Department working with the Office for Nuclear Regulation, EDFE, and Ofgem should urgently review whether it would be technically feasible, safe, and cost-effective to extend the lives of any of the remaining operating stations if needed and report back to the committee within 4 months. 4.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation as currently drafted, as extensions of the station lifespans are a matter for EDF and the relevant regulator. 4.2 Whilst there has been parliamentary and public interest in the potential for life extensions, the department has no formal role in these decisions. The continued operation, or closure, of any UK nuclear power station is a decision for EDF (the stations’ owner and operator) and the independent nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR), based on safety and commercial considerations. 4.3 Nuclear power stations must comply with stringent nuclear safety and security regulations, overseen by the ONR as a robust and independent regulator. Nuclear operators are obliged by law to make a comprehensive safety case for every nuclear operation which justifies why the reactor is safe to operate and takes into account the ageing effects of the reactor. 4.4 Most of the UK’s operating stations have already previously had life extensions. The UK has five generating AGR power stations expected to close between 2022 and 2028 (two AGR stations are already closed/defueling), that have provided reliable electricity generation for many years However, all the AGRs are known to be subject to cracking of structural graphite in the cores as they age, which limits their safe operational life. 4.5 The department is in regular communication with EDF and the ONR and will ask EDF to set out their plans for how they will work with the regulator to see if extensions are possible in a safe, secure and cost-effective way, and will aim to provide further detail to the Committee by the end of 2022.