UK Grid Live - Nuclear

Real-time electricity data
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Nuclear Fleet Tracker

GB Nuclear
Power Stations

Live output, capacity factors and unit-level status for all active UK nuclear stations — EDF's fleet of AGR and PWR reactors that provide clean baseload power.

Data from Elexon BMRS Physical Notifications, cross-checked against FUELINST national totals. Nuclear typically contributes 12–18% of GB electricity. Updated every 15 minutes.

Fleet Output
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Capacity Factor
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Fleet average
Stations Online
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of 5 active
Total Capacity
6.1 GW
Registered fleet
Fleet Output (MW)
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From BMRS PN data
National Nuclear (MW)
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FUELINST cross-check
Avg Capacity Factor
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Fleet average %
Stations
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online / partial / offline
Active Reactors
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Units generating >50 MW
Could not load nuclear station data from BMRS. Showing cached data where available.

Active Stations

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Reactor Types
PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor)Sizewell B
AGR (Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor)4 stations

The UK's AGR fleet uses graphite moderation and CO₂ cooling. They were pioneered by the UK and are unique to Britain. The PWR at Sizewell B uses water moderation, the global standard technology.

AGRs can be refuelled while running, making them very flexible for long campaigns. Capacity factors of 70–90% are typical when reactors are not in an outage.

UK Nuclear Future
Hinkley Point C (under construction)~2030
Sizewell C (proposed)Planning stage
SMR programme (Rolls-Royce)2030s target

The current AGR fleet is approaching end-of-life. EDF is managing life-extensions to keep stations running through the 2020s. Each extension requires rigorous safety cases.

Hinkley Point C (2× EPR reactors, ~3.2 GW) will be the first new UK nuclear build since Sizewell B in 1995.

Recently Closed Stations

Understanding Nuclear Output
What is a capacity factor?
Capacity factor = (actual output ÷ maximum possible output) × 100. A capacity factor of 85% means a reactor is generating at 85% of its rated power. Nuclear stations typically operate at 80–95% when not in an outage.
Why does output drop suddenly?
Output can drop during planned maintenance outages (when reactors are taken offline for inspection or refuelling), unplanned trips (automatic safety shutdowns), or during grid management events where output is deliberately reduced.
Why does nuclear raise carbon intensity?
It doesn't — nuclear has very low lifecycle carbon emissions (~12 gCO₂/kWh). When a reactor goes offline, gas turbines usually fill the gap, which raises carbon intensity. The absence of nuclear is what causes the increase.
Data source
Physical Notifications (PN) from Elexon BMRS represent each generator's planned output per half-hour settlement period, filed up to 24 hours in advance. Nuclear PN closely tracks actual output since reactors run at steady output.