The Scotland Office minister has confirmed that a longer life for the nuclear station remains possible if EDF makes a successful safety case.
Melanie Ward has told Parliament that Torness nuclear power station could theoretically continue generating beyond its planned 2030 closure.
The Scotland Office minister said any extension would require operator EDF to make an application and secure approval from the independent nuclear regulator.
Ward made the statement after visiting the East Lothian station, where she heard concerns that specialist workers may have to leave Scotland when generation ends.
She used the Westminster Hall debate to support a continued civil-nuclear role in Scotland and urged the Scottish Government to reconsider its opposition to new nuclear power.
Labour MPs in the debate also argued for future nuclear development at Hunterston and questioned the loss of skilled jobs and investment from communities that previously hosted generating stations.
Ward's answer keeps an extension open as a regulatory possibility. It is not an application from EDF, a safety approval or a government decision that Torness will operate beyond 2030.
