Lifespan of 4 British nuclear power plants extended

Last week, the average Dutch baseload power price was 110.5 €/MWh. Wind speeds were above seasonal averages throughout the week, except on Wednesday when wind generation dropped significantly, requiring many power plants to start up to meet demand.
Gas prices, which had been rising in recent weeks, fell by just over one euro. January and February contracts closed at 46.5 €/MWh. CO2 prices didn’t move much, with the December 2025 contract settling at 70.4 €/EUA.
Dutch power for January and February became cheaper, with January closing 5 euros lower at 110.5 €/MWh and February 4 euros lower at 111.1 €/MWh. Clean spark spreads for these months dropped to -3.5 and -3 €/MWh, respectively.

For 2025, gas prices dropped by 1.2 euros to 44.4 €/MWh. Coal prices fell by 8 euros to 107 €/Ton. The Dutch baseload power contract for 2025 fell by 3 euros to 93.1 €/MWh. The clean spark spread decreased by 1 euro, reaching approximately -17 €/MWh, while the dark spread remained mostly unchanged at -8.6 €/MWh.
In England, EDF and Centrica announced plans to extend the lifespan of four nuclear power plants. Some of these plants were scheduled to cease operations by mid-2026. The companies stated that this decision aims to ensure supply security and reduce reliance on imported gas. Additionally, the nuclear plants can contribute to grid stability as solar and wind capacity is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Two plants (Heysham 1 and Hartlepool) are now expected to operate one year longer, until March 2027, while Heysham 2 and Torness will operate two years longer, until March 2030.

Weekly changes