French owned EDF Energy announced on Monday it would make the first step towards decommissioning Dungeness B nuclear power station in southeast England with "immediate effect".

The energy provider said in a statement that since the station went offline in September 2018, EDF had sought to manage "a range of unique, significant and ongoing technical challenges" at the plant

But following analysis that highlighted risks with key components, the company had "taken a decision not to restart the plant but to move it into the defuelling stage".

Defuelling is the first stage of decommissioning a nuclear power station and is expected to last several years at Dungeness B, EDF said.

"EDF has had to make a hard decision -- but it is the right one," John Benn, Station Director at Dungeness B said. "It gives our teams, our community and our business a clear understanding of the future."

EDF said the continued need for specialist teams for the process and supply chain companies meant some jobs would be preserved during the closing procedure.

Acquired by EDF in 2009, Dungeness B came online in 1983 and operated for ten years beyond its initial lifespan, the French owned company said.

The company had previously said its two advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) would stay online until 2028, but in April it announced that the plant could close.

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EDF - ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE

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