Government in talks to build new nuclear power plant in Wales
The UK is reportedly in talks with a US company over plans to build a nuclear power plant in Wales which will ease reliance on electricity as the country moves to net zero.
Under the proposals the US nuclear reactor company Westinghouse would build a new plant in Angelsea the Times first reported.
The project could generate power for 6m households in the mid-2030s and would be built in addition to a nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, which is currently under construction, and a new reactor at Suffolk which is at an advanced stage of planning.
“Nuclear power has a key role to play as we work to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and exposure to volatile global gas prices,” a government spokesperson said.
“We are seeking to approve at least one more large-scale nuclear project this Parliament in order to strengthen our energy security, and create thousands of jobs across the country,” they continued.
“We recognise how important it is that we can manufacture fuel in Wales and the wider UK and maintain a skilled workforce in the sector.”
The news comes amid concerns raised by the Climate Change Committee that the UK is not on track to meet its ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2050.
In the UK the Civil Nuclear Industry currently employs around 60,000 people, making a significant annual contribution to GDP.
However, the road to a nuclear transition has been paved with problems with previous plans to build atomic plants scrapped as a result of inadequate financing.
In 2018 Toshiba gave up on plans for a new nuclear station in Cumbria while Hitachi pulled out of financing a new plant in Wales on the same site that is now being considered for the Westinghouse plant.
The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has said the government remains open to discussing new nuclear projects with any viable companies and investors wishing to develop sites across the UK.
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