As the first concrete is poured at the controversial Hinkley Point C, Britain’s second new nuclear power plant for the last 30 years is moving along at an impressive pace. Hitachi subsidiary Horizon Nuclear Power has applied for a licence to build the plant at Wylfa in Wales, with the hope of producing electricity by the early 2020s. Britain’s nuclear fleet is ageing, with all of its plants due to begin decommissioning by 2023. Currently, they make up around 20% of baseload power and without them the UK will need to act fast to secure the country’s energy supply. As such, new nuclear has become a hot topic and Wylfa is set to become an important part of the new strategy as it will take over from the previous Magnox reactor, which began decommissioning at a nearby site on the Isle of Anglesey in 2015. So far the plant has received a lot less public scrutiny and condemnation than its counterpart in Somerset, working within a community comfortable with nuclear power and with a lower level of government involvement. But what challenges will it have to face?
Power Technology 26th June 2017 read more »