Wylfa B could be back on track this decade and Trawsfynydd move forward for a Small Modular Reactor under UK Government plans to scale up nuclear.
The UK Government’s British Energy Security Strategy sets out how Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, whilst supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term – which could see 95% of electricity by 2030 being low carbon.
The strategy will see a significant acceleration of nuclear, with an ambition of up to 24GW by 2050. This would represent up to around 25% of our projected electricity demand. Subject to technology readiness from industry, Small Modular Reactors will form a key part of the nuclear project pipeline, with Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd and Wylfa on Anglesey tipped as sites.
A new government body, Great British Nuclear, will be set up immediately to bring forward new projects, backed by substantial funding, and the Government will launch the £120m Future Nuclear Enabling Fund this month.
UK Government said: "We will work to progress a series of projects as soon as possible this decade, including Wylfa site in Anglesey. This could mean delivering up to eight reactors, equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade, accelerating nuclear in Britain."
Previous attempts to develop a new nuclear plant on Anglesey have collapsed - with Hitachi withdrawing after it failed to reach a funding agreement with UK Government.
But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken up the energy market - prompting nations to move more rapidly to alternatives to oil and gas.
Talks were already ongoing between UK and Welsh Governments and US energy and engineering firms Westinghouse and Bechtel over the Wylfa site.
UK Government said plans also include:
- Offshore wind : A new ambition of up to 50GW by 2030 – more than enough to power every home in the UK – of which we would like to see up to 5GW from floating offshore wind in deeper seas. This will be underpinned by new planning reforms to cut the approval times for new offshore wind farms from four years to one year and an overall streamlining which will radically reduce the time it takes for new projects to reach construction stages while improving the environment.
- Oil and gas : A licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects planned to launch this summer, with a new taskforce providing bespoke support to new developments – recognising the importance of these fuels to the transition and to our energy security, and that producing gas in the UK has a lower carbon footprint than imported from abroad.
- Onshore wind : We will 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.
- Heat pump manufacturing: We will run a Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition in 2022 worth up to £30m to make British heat pumps, which reduce demand for gas.
- We will also look to increase the UK’s current 14GW of solar capacity which could grow up to five times by 2035, consulting on the rules for solar projects, particularly on domestic and commercial rooftops.
- We will aim to double our ambition to up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half coming from green hydrogen and utilising excess offshore wind power to bring down costs.
The Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme will also be extended for a further three years to protect manufacturing sectors from high electricity costs and to make sure they can remain competitive internationally.
The Prime Minister, Boris 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.”
Chief Executive of the UK Nuclear Industry Association, 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. Investing in fleets of large and small scale stations is essential to securing clean, affordable, British power which will work alongside renewables to cut our dependence on gas.
“This investment will also create tens of thousands of jobs across the country and revitalise a world class skills base right here in Britain. The ambition and determination to do much more and quicker is very welcome.”
“Along with removing barriers to projects getting started, building investor confidence by ensuring nuclear is classified as green in the UK taxonomy and making it eligible for green bonds are important next steps.
“We also want to see the money from the promised Future Nuclear Enabling Fund allocated at pace, with good sites being made available for project development. We welcome the government’s leadership and the UK’s nuclear industry stands ready to deliver our part in realising the vision set out in the strategy.”
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist, said: “This Strategy sets an ambitious bar for a more resilient, low carbon energy system for the future. Bold words must now be matched by bold actions from the Government. The proof will be in the Strategy’s delivery, in partnership between business and Government. Business believes greater energy independence must go hand-in-hand with delivering a net-zero, higher growth economy."
Ynys Mon MP Virginia Crosbie, who has campaigned for a Wylfa B on Anglesey, said: "There have been announcements and optimism before but this is different. The UK Government is showing its commitment and ambition to a wholesale change in how we power our nation with big nuclear and SMRs front and centre.
"It will require drive and there will be problems to solve and opportunities to grasp. The journey continues but I am confident we are now entering a new stage and one full of hope and optimism that the jobs and investment our island needs are now just around the corner and the possibilities are endless."
