Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Paragraph: 30
Wylfa is a prime site and should host the next gigawatt-scale nuclear plant.
Conclusion
We have heard from a wide range of industry representatives that Wylfa is one of the best sites for nuclear development and it is difficult to see how the UK Government can deliver its nuclear ambitions without taking forward a project at Wylfa. We consider that Wylfa should be the location of the next gigawatt-scale nuclear generation plant after Sizewell C.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the desire for a settled policy but states no decisions have been taken on which sites future projects will proceed with. It will develop a new National Policy Statement and consult later this year on future nuclear siting policy, while Great British Nuclear (GBN) will consider further large-scale projects.
Paragraph Reference:
30
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The Government welcomes Hitachi’s continued stewardship of the Wylfa Newydd site and the effort taken to maintain the site in recent years. While any decision to sell the site is a commercial decision for Hitachi, we continue to have a positive relationship and strong dialogue with all nuclear site owners (as nominated under the 2011 National Policy Statement) and remain in a conversation with them about how to best enable and deliver on the Government’s ambition for up to 24GW of nuclear energy by 2050. Government has established Great British Nuclear (GBN) to drive forward the UK’s new nuclear programme. GBN will be working with Government on access to potential sites for new nuclear projects to achieve our long-term ambition. GBN will also support the Government’s consideration of further large Gigawatt-scale projects to help us deliver on our long-term ambition. However, no decisions have been taken over which technologies future projects will proceed with, or at which sites. Government recognises the desire for a settled policy for new nuclear deployment and will develop a new National Policy Statement (NPS), which will set out the planning policy for deploying new nuclear power stations beyond 2025. The new nuclear NPS will take account of changes in the nuclear landscape since the existing NPS was designated in 2011, including the potential for advanced technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). Government will consult later this year on a policy for how new nuclear developments could be sited in future.