The company has submitted the results of its safety review to ONR justifying that the only pressurised water reactor in the UK can continue operating. The plant is located in Suffolk, England.
Precautionary safety review at Sizewell B was done after routine safety inspections at Belgium’s Doel 3 nuclear plant in June 2012 indentified a number of small defects in the reactor pressure vessel.
A 20-year inspection of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Sizewell B is due to take place in spring 2016. Main welds in the RPV and some sections of forging material will be re-inspected during the process.
"Sizewell B has saved 95 million ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions" EDF Energy said in release.
"The station is a key employer in the eastern region bringing some £30million pounds each year into the local economy through wages alone."
Sizewell B station director Jim Crawford stated, "Sizewell B is the youngest of the EDF Energy fleet of nuclear power stations but it comes of age today as it clocks up 18 years of safe reliable low carbon electricity generation."
EDF Energy supplies gas and electricity to over 5.5 million British business and residential customers.
