Member of the Senedd for the Vale of Clwyd, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Sport, and North Wales, Gareth Davies, has echoed the sentiments expressed by the US ambassador that the revised plans for the Wylfa Nuclear facility in Anglesey, announced by the UK Government on 13th November, may be insufficient for the region’s needs. Mr Davies also expressed that with the additional announcement of a North Wales AI Growth Zone, demand on the energy rid will rise substantially, which he argued will not be satisfied by the three planned Small Modular Reactors earmarked for the Wylfa site.
Speaking in the Senedd chamber during questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Mr Davies highlighted the important work of Virginia Crosbie, previous MS for Ynys Mon, who undertook the groundwork on the project, ensuring the purchase of the site, and expressed his gratitude that nuclear energy is a priority for the UK Government.
The original plans approved by the former UK Government were for a full-scale gigawatt plant, which has now been reduced to three Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). He told the Cabinet Secretary that whilst he welcomed the adoption of SMRs, the three planned for Wylfa will not be sufficient for the energy needs of North Wales in coming years.
He asked the Welsh Government to outline why the project has been scaled back to an SMR-only nuclear plant, and what assurances can be given that they will provide enough energy to the grid, particularly to support the proposed north Wales AI growth zone. The Cabinet Secretary responded by outlining that SMRs were selected for the site due to the prospect for quicker delivery than a giga-watt scale nuclear plant, with the SMR plant due to be operational by the mid-2030s.
Commenting following the exchange Gareth Davies MS said:
“I welcome the investment in new nuclear energy at Wylfa, building on the foundations laid by the previous UK Government, but I’m increasingly concerned that the shift to three SMRs means North Wales may be left short-changed in the long run.
“With a greater demand placed on our energy grid and a North Wales AI Growth Zone set to drive energy demand through the roof, scaling back from a full gigawatt plant feels like bringing a knife to a gunfight, and I’m concerned the three planned Small Modular Reactors won’t be sufficient for our energy needs in the coming years.
“We need both the UK and Welsh Governments to revisit these plans and secure the level of generation our region genuinely requires, because ensuring North Wales has the power to drive its economic future must remain an absolute priority.”