Sizewell B nuclear power plant granted 20-year extension, securing electricity generation until 2055 under new government contract

Unbiased summary

The UK government has agreed a deal with EDF, which owns 80% of Sizewell B, and Centrica, which holds the remaining 20%, to extend the Suffolk nuclear power plant's operational life by 20 years until 2055. The plant, which opened in 1995 and was originally due to close in 2035, generates approximately 3% of UK electricity, equivalent to the needs of 2.5 million homes. Under a contract for difference arrangement, the plant's owners will receive a guaranteed, inflation-linked price of £70.50 per megawatt-hour from April 2035 to March 2055. Centrica will invest over £800 million in refurbishment works to maintain the reactor safely. The £70.50 price is below the £91.20 agreed for new offshore wind farms and below the plant's previous contract price. The deal is intended to support energy security, low-carbon electricity targets, and approximately 900 skilled jobs in Suffolk.

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Coverage by outlet

The Guardian left

Angle Frames the extension primarily as a climate and clean energy policy win, emphasising the government's green energy ambitions and Labour ministers' roles.

Bias The Guardian prominently quotes both Ed Miliband and Rachel Reeves in favourable terms, reinforcing Labour's clean energy narrative. It omits key financial details such as the £800 million Centrica investment, the comparison with previous contract pricing, and the lower cost relative to offshore wind, all of which provide important economic context. The framing around a 'golden age of nuclear' and climate commitments leans editorial rather than neutral.

Sizewell B nuclear power plant granted a 20-year life extension

City AM centre-right

Angle Focuses on the financial and market mechanics of the deal, presenting it as a cost-effective arrangement with notable context around pricing comparisons.

Bias City AM provides the most financially detailed account, explaining the CfD mechanism, the £70.50 price, and the comparison to both offshore wind costs and the previous contract — details other outlets omit or underplay. This is broadly factual and relatively neutral, though the emphasis on the deal being 'considerably less' than previous arrangements carries a mild pro-market efficiency framing. It omits broader policy context such as job preservation and energy security benefits highlighted elsewhere.

Sizewell B granted 20-year life extension

Daily Mail right

Angle Presents the deal factually but subtly undermines confidence in the government's nuclear strategy by noting delays to Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C.

Bias The Daily Mail's inclusion of the sentence referencing 'multiple delays' at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C is the only mention of this context across all outlets and introduces a note of scepticism about the broader nuclear programme not present in the objective facts of this specific story. The piece is otherwise fairly factual but notably brief, omitting the CfD price comparison to wind, the £800 million refurbishment detail's source, and any workforce or energy security context. The affiliate advertising links embedded in the article raise questions about editorial independence.

Sizewell B nuclear plant granted 20-year lifetime extension as Government agrees deal with EDF and Centrica

GB News right

Angle Reports the deal straightforwardly with a mild pro-nuclear and consumer-benefit framing, highlighting cost savings relative to wind and the Ukraine price spike comparison.

Bias GB News is notable for including the government's claim that a CfD-style deal during the Ukraine energy crisis would have saved consumers around £2 billion — a figure that adds political colour favouring the policy but is sourced only from 'officials' without scrutiny. It also contextualises the lower price versus offshore wind clearly, which is factually accurate and useful. The piece omits the previous contract price comparison mentioned by City AM and gives no critical perspective, resulting in coverage that is informative but one-sidedly positive about the deal.

Sizewell B nuclear power station granted 20-year extension generating electricity until 2055