Wylfa is home to a Magnox nuclear power station that is being decommissioned. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said a new project would revive the nuclear history of Wylfa and bring thousands of jobs and investment to the area.
“We welcome the government’s engagement with potential partners internationally, and we urge them to move forward at pace,” said Tom Greatrex chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association. “A large-scale project at Wylfa would be the single biggest inward investment in Welsh history, and a huge step towards both energy security and net zero for the whole country.”
Great British Nuclear - tasked with delivering the world’s fastest small modular reactor competition - recently secured Wylfa and Oldbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire as two possible sites for new nuclear projects.
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In a statement, secretary of state for energy security and net zero Claire Coutinho, said: “Anglesey has a proud nuclear history and it is only right that, once again, it can play a central role in boosting the UK’s energy security.
“Wylfa would not only bring clean, reliable power to millions of homes – it could create thousands of well-paid jobs and bring investment to the local area.”
The UK is delivering the biggest expansion to nuclear power in 70 years and aims to quadruple nuclear capacity by up to 24GW by 2050 using a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and small modular reactors.
Great British Nuclear is aiming to announce successful bidders for the small modular reactor competition by the end of this year.
Sue Ferns, senior deputy general secretary of Prospect union said: “Gigawatt scale new nuclear power stations are vital to hitting net zero and for our energy security. They also maintain well paid and highly skilled jobs, meaning this project would be a major boost to the Welsh economy.
“Now we need a laser-like focus on delivery of new nuclear to make sure skills and experience are not lost, and costs are reduced as we progress.”
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