Vistra has announced that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a 20-year extension for its 1,268MW Perry nuclear power plant, extending the plant’s original license an additional 20 years to 2046.

The company applied for the plant’s licence renewal to the NRC in 2023.

Perry, a single-unit facility, was first connected to the grid in 1986 and is operating under its initial 40-year licence.

The plant is the last of Vistra's six nuclear reactors to apply for and receive its licence extension from the NRC.

The extensions enable each of Vistra's reactors to operate for a total of 60 years.

Beaver Valley units one and two in Pennsylvania are licensed to operate until 2036 and 2047 respectively.

The single reactor at Davis-Besse in Ohio holds a licence valid to 2037, while the Comanche Peak units one and two in Texas are licensed for operation through to 2050 and 2053 respectively.

These six nuclear reactors can produce more than 6,500MW of emission-free energy, sufficient to supply power to 3.25 million homes.

Vistra president and CEO Jim Burke stated: "Electricity is a basic building block of our economy, and as demand accelerates, nuclear power remains a cornerstone of a reliable, sustainable grid.

“Extending operations at Perry ensures that Ohio continues to benefit from a resilient source of baseload power, supporting jobs, economic activity and grid reliability across the region. With this latest approval, all six reactors in Vistra's fleet have received licence extensions, reinforcing their long-term value to the communities and markets we serve.”

The extension of Perry's operating licence also secures long-term economic advantages for the local community.

Perry employs 600 full-time employees and more than 200 permanent contractors, supporting hundreds of families in the area.

Regularly scheduled refuelling outages attract between 800 and 1,200 highly skilled technicians from across the US, generating significant local economic activity.

Vistra chief nuclear officer Ken Peters stated: "Our dedicated Perry team is committed to the highest standards of operational excellence, and we take great pride in delivering reliable, clean power to Ohio and the broader PJM [Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Maryland] region.

“This 20-year licence extension reflects the strength of our safety culture, the condition of the plant and the professionalism of our workforce. I want to commend the Vistra team for their thorough preparation and successful navigation of the NRC's rigorous review process.”