Heysham 2 Nuclear Plant Sets 940‑Day Record, Begins Planned Maintenance

Heysham 2’s reactor in Lancashire, England, recently entered a planned maintenance shutdown after an impressive 940‑day continuous operation – a new benchmark that eclipses the 22‑year record held by Canada’s Pickering plant.

During that stretch, the reactor generated over 14 terawatt‑hours of electricity, enough to keep 3.4 million homes powered for a full year.

"This outstanding performance is the result of meticulous planning, substantial investment, and the unwavering commitment of a highly professional team," said John Munro, director of Heysham 2. "The upgrades we’re installing now will extend the plant’s operational life and secure its future contribution to the grid.”

The shutdown will feature comprehensive camera inspections inside the reactor, installation of new instrumentation, and the replacement of two large gas circulators that aid in cooling. These are the most significant upgrades for the plant.

Statutory outages, scheduled every three years, are carefully orchestrated to avoid any impact on the national electricity supply. The plant’s second reactor will remain online during this period.

EDF Energy’s Torness plant in Scotland is slated to break Heysham 2’s record in February 2017, reaching 996 continuous days of operation before its April maintenance break.

For further details, visit www.edfenergy.com.