Wylfa could get three new nuclear reactors as Boris Johnson ‘enthusiastic’ about accelerating plans
Wylfa on Anglesey could get three new nuclear reactors as the Prime Minister is said to be ‘enthusiastic’ about accelerating plans in order to reach the UK’s future net-zero targets and close an energy black hole.
US nuclear company Westinghouse has put together a consortium with construction group Bechtel to revive plans for two nuclear reactors at Wylfa since Hitachi, a Japanese conglomerate, abandoned their own plans in 2019.
A consortium led by Rolls-Royce also wants to place one of their own ‘small’ modular reactors on the site.
According to the Financial Times, Boris Johnson is “enthusiastic about Wylfa’s prospects,” with one cabinet minister telling the newspaper he “has had something of an evangelical conversion, in the past few months”.
Ynys Môn MP Virginia Crosbie has also been enthusiastic about the plans, describing herself in the House of Commons as “the Atomic Kitten”.
However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to be less enthusiastic given the cost to the taxpayer of financing such huge projects that would not be operational for decades, with a target of meeting the UK Government’s ‘net zero’ goal by 2050.
“With Rishi it’s not as if he is saying no to Wylfa, but there is a sense of caution in the Treasury which does seem to be delaying progress,” said one senior government official. The Chancellor wants to bring down spending in order to be able to cut taxes before the General Election which is expected to be in 2024.
More nuclear power at Wylfa is not without its critics with campaign groups CADNO and PAWB among the local opposition.
Writing for Nation.Cymru, Dylan Morgan of PAWB (People Against Wylfa B) warned that “nuclear power is a dirty, outdated, dangerous, vastly expensive technology which threatens both human and environmental health”.
“It would also steal much-needed resources from renewable technologies which are cheaper, much quicker to build and more effective to combat the effects of climate change.”
The original Wylfa power station became operational in 1971 and started decommissioning in 2015.
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Whether nuclear is good or bad is debatable. However, in my view the issue here is who decides? Westminster or Cymru? Many have expressed a choice to be a nuclear free nation. We don’t have that choice because, simply put, we are still a colony!
Again, they bypass Wales and its elected government.
They call Ynys Mon in the UK, thus denying Wales actually exists.
Just as Putin’s Russia denies Ukraine’s existence.
TORIES = PUTIN.
Following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, the German gov decided to shut down all nuclear plants by 2022. If the most powerful economy in Europe can function without nuclear energy, then Cymru must able to cope. If Boris is so keen, he could always have them built in England. We must also remember Cymru and Scotland are net exporters of energy, it is England that need to import energy to function.
Mutti Merkel then called the Russians and asked about having a Nordstream 2. The Russians were not very keen, but in the end agreed, and the rest you know………… ?
Wales is not a net exporter of energy. It imports all of its gas and exports a small amount of electricity
2/3rd of our electricity is exported. Nuclear plants make electricity. We do not need this capacity. Just a resource for the English again to exploit
Ho Ho Ho let’s get gas from Russia.
Interesting spelling of your name. Almost like you have only ever uncomprehendingly seen Welsh and assumed you could put letters anywhere
Not a bad first attempt. However if he’s been doing that for years then he should get a spellcheck.
The decision must be ours in Wales
Otherwise it’s a case of pure Putinism by Boris
and his oligarchistas
My word, aren’t we being played, big push for electric vehicles. Doing away with gas boilers, increasing cost of fuel and energy all adds up to we need more electricity and cheap, johnson to the rescue, we’ll have nuclear, this has been the tory plan all along. How many tories have their fingers in the nuclear energy pie?
Wales generates more than we need. How about a reactor somewhere “nice” in Surrey?
My argument entirely. Why accept such huge transmission costs when the philosophy was originally to place mini-nukes where the market needs are highest. London needs four and not in North Wales or darkest Dungeness.
…because the union cannot power itself!!!?
Don’t you just love democracy?
This is working out perfectly for Johnson. He can tie Wales’ energy production with England’s energy needs, and Wales will get virtually nothing in return. Muscular unionism? Job done, on the energy front.
Did you miss COP26 which Liz Saville Roberts went to. Gas (which Cymru imports all of its needs for) is being phased out.
So when that is the case, you need to plan for its replacement (electricity) centuries ahead.
That’s what Cymru is trying to do with its green energy strategy. I don’t see how nuclear is going to help that.
Base load.
So if you want ventilators to work at night or when the wind is blowing.
One will always need base load.
And, no, we can’t put them all in Westminster Cathedral or anywhere else you would prefer everyone died of radiation poisoning because of line loss.
I don’t mean any respect by this but your look knowledge of matters relating to your own country never seems to develop beyond the same tropes.
“Your own country”. So you are admitting Cymru is not your country then Emyr?
The standard of disinformation trolls has dropped significantly since the genocide in Ukraine
I agree with you that a nuclear power station should not be built in Westminster Cathedral. You are right to acknowledge the dangers involved in siting such a dangerous structure any where in your country. The same objections apply to Cymru as well, of course.
I complement you on your latest fake name, gyda llaw.
Renewables is the way for Cymru. Easy to meet our own energy needs with that plentiful, safe energy source. If England wants nuclear power, England should host nuclear power stations
From my understanding Wales exports about two thirds of the electricity we generate to England. I can understand why Boris Johnson is keen to have more nuclear power stations and wind farms blighting the Welsh countryside rather than have them in England
No. It exports about 1/3 to a European wide grid – your mates in Ireland chiefly.
Actually it isn’t Wales. It is global power companies who own the power stations
The situation won’t remain the same as electricity demand will increase exponentially.
England has lots of wind farms. More per head than Wales.
Wales is still a net exporter. So why do we need more production capacity? Build it closer to where it’s needed. Unless there’s a reason those places don’t want a potentially massively dangerous nuclear reactor near them…?
So Boris Johnson & London lapdog Virginia Crosbie are ” enthusiastic” about placing three nuclear reactors at once in Ynys Mon. I bet they are. It’s taint Wales and screw the consequences. Just wait when they want to create a National Water Grid. I predict further Welsh valleys will be drowned. Boris said it was his wish as London Mayor. Be warned! Think I’m overreacting? Well, see the damage done to Wales by NCB (National Coal Board) to see what we can expect, god forbid, if one day a nuclear accident occured. No doubt London would wash their hands and… Read more »
Fat oaf is excited about NOT placing sites in Ingerlund. “That stuff is dangerous. Give it to the Bally Taffies! They will swallow whatever sh1t we give them”
Nope. Everyone has them.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_the_United_Kingdom#:~:text=Nuclear%20power%20in%20the%20United%20Kingdom%20generated%2016.1,the%20country's%20electricity%20in%202020.
Most of them seem to be nowhere near large population centres where the electricity is needed most. That’s convenient isn’t it?