Future nuclear power projects in Wales must be value for money and create jobs where they are built, MPs have said. The Welsh Affairs Committee said it was satisfied with safety, but wanted clarity on costs. It said Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey should only be built if its electricity costs no more than that from Hinkley Point C in Somerset, or from renewable sources. The UK government said any proposed new sites would “need to offer value for money for the taxpayer”. MPs carried out an inquiry into the potential of fresh power generation at the two nuclear sites in north Wales. A new £8bn station employing 1,000 people, is planned for Wylfa to replace the plant which closed in December after operating for 44 years. A replacement has also been mooted for the Trawsfynydd plant, in Gwynedd, which stopped generating power in 1991 and is being decommissioned. The committee said it recognised a “notable lack of public confidence” in nuclear power following incidents such as the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. However, committee chairman David Davies said MPs were “impressed by the level of scrutiny” of the UK nuclear industry and “reassured that the highest safety standards are followed”. “The key questions that need to be answered for future development of nuclear power at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd to be viable centre on value for money and local impact,” he added. “The [UK] government must prove that the cost of any nuclear development is well understood and competitive with renewable sources. These costs must be made public in a format that can be easily understood.
BBC 26th July 2016 read more »
Hitachi Ltd. should be paid less for the power from its planned nuclear plant in North Wales than Electricite de France SA has been promised for reactors in western England, a panel of U.K. lawmakers said, seeking to keep a lid on energy prices paid by consumers. The government should also ensure the cost of the Wylfa Newydd project by Hitachi’s Horizon unit is competitive with renewable-power plants such as onshore wind farms, the cross-party Welsh Affairs Committee said Tuesday in an e-mailed report. The lawmakers called for a “clear and comprehensible explanation” of the lifetime costs of the 2.7-gigawatt project and for a “demonstrable benefit” to the local community.
Bloomberg 25th July 2016 read more »
Any new nuclear plant in Wales must be able to compete with renewable energy on cost, a Committee of MPs have told the government today. Lawmakers on the Welsh Affairs Committee have published a new report insisting that before proposed nuclear developments at Wylfa Newydd and Trawsfynydd in North Wales go ahead the government must prove the financial viability and community benefit of the projects.
Business Green 26th July 2016 read more »