It is all over for the £20bn project to build a new nuclear power plant on Anglesey, after developers dropped their planning bid. Horizon Nuclear Power has pulled a request to approve reactor designs at Wylfa, blaming UK government funding options as one reason. Japanese backers Hitachi pulled out of the development last September. Another firm has since unveiled plans for a smaller hybrid nuclear and wind plant on a separate site at Wylfa. The Development Consent Order (DCO) process, which is the name given to planning applications for major UK infrastructure projects such as Wylfa, has been under consideration since June 2018. A decision was due to be made on the plan by the UK’s business and energy secretary at the end of April, following a series of requests by Horizon to extend the process while it held talks with other interested parties. But Horizon has now written to the Planning Inspectorate and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, confirming the end of the troubled project. Its letter said negotiations on the future of Wylfa had been “positive and encouraging”. However, it added: “They have not, unfortunately, led to any definitive proposal that would have allowed the transfer to some new development entity. “In light of this and in the absence of a new funding policy from HM Government, Hitachi Ltd., has taken the decision to wind-up Horizon as an active development entity by 31 March 2021. “As a result, we must now, regretfully, withdraw the application.”
BBC 27th Jan 2021 read more »
Applicant’s Letter: Application for a development consent order for the construction and operation of a new nuclear power station and associated infrastructure at Wylfa, Anglesey, Wales (the “Wylfa Newydd DCO Project”) – Withdrawal of Application.
Infrastructure Planning Inspectorate 27th Jan 2021 read more »
The application has been withdrawn. Please see the Applicant’s letter. There is no further action for the Secretary of State to take in respect of the Application.
Infrastructure Planning Inspectorate 27th Jan 2021 read more »
Anglesey’s Senedd member has called for investment in green energy projects after the developers behind the island’s Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant withdrew their planning application for the £16bn project. Rhun ap Iorwerth, Member of the Senedd for Ynys Môn said it was the “end of the road for the project” that the UK Government had “ultimately failed to deliver”. The island’s MP, Virginia Crosbie, however, said that there was still some hope that the project could go ahead with a different developer. Hitachi today informed the Planning Inspectorate that it was formally withdrawing its Development Consent Order (DCO) bid. But the company added it was “too important to the net zero agenda and the economic future of Anglesey and north Wales for that progress to be wasted”.
Nation Cymru 27th Jan 2021 read more »
Planning application for Anglesey nuclear project withdrawn as developer pulls plug.
Business Live 27th Jan 2021 read more »
Daily Post 28th Jan 2021 read more »