Wylfa B consortium welcomes nuclear site confirmation

The consortium behind plans for a new nuclear power station on Anglesey has welcomed a UK government decision to list the site as suitable for the next generation of plants.

Wylfa was confirmed among eight sites around the UK, all adjacent to existing nuclear sites, deemed suitable for new power stations by 2025.

Horizon Nuclear Power said its plans could create hundreds of jobs.

The announcement comes three months after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Horizon, a joint venture between E.on UK and RWE npower, expects its proposals for Wylfa to be available for public consultation early next year.

Chief operating officer Alan Raymant said: "The publication of these statements represents another step forward towards the delivery of new nuclear developments in the UK.

New nuclear developments can provide the UK with a clean, secure and sustainable energy future”

"Wylfa is an excellent site for new build, and the development which we are proposing can have a long-term positive effect for north Wales including bringing hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of investment into the area."

He said it was right that the industry regulator had delayed approval of the types of reactors proposed "to make sure any lessons learned from the events in Japan can be incorporated, enabling us to set out a clear, confident safety case alongside our planning application".

"New nuclear developments can provide the UK with a clean, secure and sustainable energy future," he added.

It is another step in the process, but not a final decision.

The plans will be debated and voted on in Parliament, but ministers hope they will win the argument with a pro-nuclear majority in the Commons.