Sizewell B nuclear power station has returned to service after nearly seven weeks off-line for a £60million worth of maintenance work.

The reactor and Turbine 2 at the plant have been resynchronised to the national grid following the planned refuelling and maintenace, which means that Sizewell B is currently working at half capacity, generating enough electricity for about one million homes.

Maintenance work on Turbine 1 is progressing well and is planned to be brought back on line in the coming days, which will return the station to full operation.

Jim Crawford, Sizewell B station director said: “This £60m planned refuelling and maintenance outage has seen an additional 1,200 specialist workers on site who have assisted Sizewell B staff, who all live with in 25 miles of the power station, complete some 13,000 tasks in addition to refuelling the reactor.

“By successfully completing these maintenance tasks we further improve the performance of Sizewell B which is already recognised as a world class nuclear power station.”

Key achievements during the 47 day “outage” included safely changing the rotors on one of the turbines which converts steam into electricity to provide low carbon power.

EDF Energy said an estimated additional £20m had been invested in the local community through the accommodation of additional workers, salaries and spending in the area.

These maintenance periods take place every 18 months and are planned in advance with the National Grid to ensure there is no risk to national electricity supply.

Sizewell B started operating in 1995 and generates enough electricity for more than two million homes – 3% of the UK’s electricity. The station employs more than 550 staff and 250 contractors.