Questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning in today’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood asked how the Welsh Government is supporting the energy sector in North Wales.
Highlighting a report detailing the benefits delivered by the Nuclear sector, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood asked what steps the Welsh Government is taking to secure the development of a new nuclear facility at Wylfa on Ynys Môn.
He went on to highlight the huge potential benefits a new nuclear site at Wylfa could deliver for North Wales and asked what is being done to secure the development.
He said:
“In questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales here in July, I referred to a recent report by Oxford Economics commissioned by the Nuclear Industry Association, which detailed the benefits delivered within the sector, with the Welsh civil nuclear sector generating £850 million in gross value added (GVA) in 2024, up 20 per cent since 2021, largely driven by Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C developments in England, and 830 direct jobs in Wales, with 13,400 jobs in Wales supported by the sector.
“The report highlighted that if a new nuclear power station is built at Wylfa, North Wales could see an economic contribution comparable to that experienced in the south-west of England, where Hinkley Point C is located and Nuclear gross value added reached £4 billion in 2024, up 50 per cent since 2021.
“It was then announced last month both that Rolls Royce SMR has been announced as the UK's preferred bidder for Small Modular Reactors and that a new deal to build up to 12 Advanced Modular Reactors in Hartlepool had been agreed.
“In this context, what specific steps is the Welsh Government therefore taking to secure the development of a new nuclear facility at Wylfa, and how is it working with UK Government and industry stakeholders to ensure that North Wales benefits from the economic and employment opportunities that this could bring?”
In her response, the Cabinet Secretary said:
“I had the opportunity to meet the Chair of Great British Energy - Nuclear in the last couple of weeks, again to set out the Welsh Government's support for Wylfa, and, clearly, I've had the opportunity as well to speak directly to the Secretary of State with responsibility for energy, Ed Miliband, expressing the Welsh Government's support for Wylfa as a potential site as well.”
