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UK Government’s ‘Great British Nuclear’ body to push ahead with reactor at Wylfa on Anglesey

07 Apr 2022 6 minute read
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Picture by Annika Haas (CC BY 2.0). Wylfa Power Station. Picture: Andrew Woodvine (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The UK Government has confirmed its intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa site on the island of Anglesey.

Under their new energy strategy published today a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UK’s nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power, 25% of the projected electricity demand.

The UK Government hopes the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade.

They say it will “immediately begin work to secure access to the sites,” and also names Sizewell in Suffolk and Oldbury in South Gloucestershire alongside Wylfa.

The long-awaited energy strategy promised boosts to nuclear, wind, solar and hydrogen.

Ministers are promising “cleaner and more affordable energy” to be made in this country, aiming to make 95% of electricity low carbon by 2030.

But Labour said the Prime Minister had “caved to his own backbenchers” and that the plan would do nothing to help the rising energy costs faced by households.

Boris Johnson said the strategy, including new nuclear and offshore wind plans, would reduce the UK’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.

There has been particular worldwide concern about the reliance on Russian oil and gas since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said: “We’re setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead.

“This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills.”

‘Consulting’

The rocketing energy bills faced by families have been caused in part by a post-pandemic rise in demand for gas, with lower levels of production.

This was only exacerbated by the war in Ukraine both due to energy supplies but also the production of wheat and some metals.

On offshore wind, the plan outlines the ambition of producing up to 50GW of energy by 2030, which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) said would be more than enough to power every home in the UK.

Some 5GW should come from floating offshore wind in deeper seas and planning reforms will slash approval times for new wind farms from four years to one year.

It is thought a major crunch point in the strategy, and one of the reasons its launch has been delayed, is wrangling over onshore wind farms.

Several ministers have aired views backing the development of new oil and gas, but not onshore wind, which is one of the cheapest forms of electricity, along with solar.

Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg downplayed the earthquake risks from fracking and suggested “every last drop” of oil should be extracted from the North Sea, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he did not favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms as he said they “can create something of an eyesore”.

The Government said it would be “consulting on developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills”.

It has already commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the moratorium on the controversial process, imposed over the tremors it caused.

A £30m competition to manufacture heat pumps is also to be launched, and there are ambitions to increase solar capacity with a consultation of the rules for solar projects.

Plus, the Government aims to double its goal of low carbon hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030, with at least half of that coming from green hydrogen.

Meanwhile, on oil and gas, a new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the autumn to cover the “nearer term”.

‘Vital step’

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We have seen record-high gas prices around the world.

“We need to protect ourselves from price spikes in the future by accelerating our move towards cleaner, cheaper, home-grown energy.

“The simple truth is that the more cheap, clean power we generate within our borders, the less exposed we will be to eye-watering fossil fuel prices set by global markets we can’t control.

“Scaling up cheap renewables and new nuclear, while maximising North Sea production, is the best and only way to ensure our energy independence over the coming years.”

The plan was welcomed by offshore wind firm Orsted, trade association Hydrogen UK, Shell and EDF, among others.

Nuclear Industry Association chief executive Tom Greatrex said the new nuclear target of 24GW by 2050 “is a vital step forward for UK energy security and our net zero future”.

‘Do nothing’

But Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, said: “The Government’s energy relaunch is in disarray.

“Boris Johnson has completely caved to his own backbenchers and now, ludicrously, his own energy strategy has failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar, the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power.

“This relaunch will do nothing for the millions of families now facing an energy bills crisis.

“No reversal of the ban on onshore wind and not a penny more on energy efficiency.

“These decisions will force households to pay hundreds of pounds more for their energy bills and keep the UK dependent on imported gas for longer.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the plans were “utterly hopeless”.

Climate think tank E3G said the announced plans had “failed to support the action needed to either get off Russian gas this year or bring down energy bills”.

Ed Matthew, campaigns director at E3G said: “With no new support to save energy and by holding back on solar power and onshore wind, this strategy will do nothing to help the UK get off Russian gas this year.

“Instead, the Government has prioritised policies that will keep us dependent on high-cost fossil fuels and nuclear power.

“This isn’t an energy security strategy and will do nothing to bring down energy bills.

“It is a national security threat and the person who will be happiest with it is Vladimir Putin.”


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Charles Coombes
Charles Coombes
1 year ago

Nuclear energy is expensive.it takes time to come on line and ages to decommision. Look at Trawsfyndd.
Invest in tidal solar, hydro and wind.
Come on line faster cheaper and provide clean energy.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago

There’s no deadly waste, that has to be stored underground for thousands of years, from renewable sources either

Stephen
Stephen
1 year ago

Nuclear is the best option by a mile. Wind, solar etc are unpredictable and not cost effective. FACT.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago
Reply to  Stephen

Partly in agreement with you but siting one in North Wales which already exports electricity to England is inefficient, wasteful of energy and money and unjustifiable in terms of need. Stick it on Wirral closer to the demands of Liverpool or at Salford Quays to serve Manchester. If safe enough for the people of Anglesey they must be safe enough for the English.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago
Reply to  Stephen

Strange how the growing number of countries in the world now generating electricity from renewable sources havent found that to be the case 😉…….tides ‘not predictable’? 😂 https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/11-countries-leading-the-charge-on-renewable-energy/

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

The Brexit ‘hurricane of ******* lies’, (Thanks to Green Day for that line. Expletive deleted), continues to blow. Remember this, that and the other would be ‘cheaper’? Now the arch liar of Liesville is promising us ‘cheaper’ energy bills whilst once again leaving out any mention of the reason this can never be which is of course the insurmountable wall of tyranny that is shareholders’ profits. It will all be for the benefit of THEM not YOU or ME.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Wales is England’s energy dumping ground. What to do? I know! Stick it in areas of outstanding beauty such as their national parks leaving England green and pleasant. They won’t mind. Slip them some more Universal Credit. They’ll take anything these Welsh. Good little loyal Taffys. Know your place. Beneath our English feet.

Grayham Jones
1 year ago

As long as all the money stays in wales it’s time for a new wales kick out all English party’s out of wales vote Plaid Cymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
1 year ago

If nuclear’s ‘safe’ then plonk it near westminster….and bury the deadly waste it will produce under Buck House 😉

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

For Sale…1 Prime Minister will say anything for the highest bidder…

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