The reactors — at Dungeness A, southeast of London, and Sizewell A, in eastern England — had reached the end of their life cycle and were less efficient than modern plants.
Britain’s 23 nuclear power stations supply around 20% of the country’s electricity, and all but one are due to be closed by 2023. Last July, prime minister Tony Blair said a new generation of nuclear plants would be built to replace them, angering environmentalists eager to promote renewable power sources.
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