Hitachi pulls plug on Wylfa nuclear power project

Hitachi is pulling the plug on a project to build a nuclear power station.

The Japanese firm has told staff that it is winding down its Horizon subsidiary, which will shut by March 31.

The multi-national, which was planning to build a £20bn nuclear power plant at Wylfa on Anglesey, announced in September it was pulling out of funding the development, despite having put £2bn into it, as well as a plant at Oldbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire.

Hitachi decided to keep Horizon Nuclear Power, which currently has 12 members of staff, in business as the planning process for Wylfa continued and they tried to secure new investors.

There is interest in the site from bidders that include a US consortium of Bechtel, Southern Company and Westinghouse, and it is understood it is understood that if a sale of the site is not secured before Horizon shuts the sale process will be continued by Hitachi.

Anti-nuclear campaigner Robat Idris said: “The end for Horizon? No to the nuke nightmare. Yes to sustainable jobs for the island’s people.”