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Regulators confirmed the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor, designed by Hitachi-GE, is suitable for construction in the UK. Horizon Nuclear Power aims to build and operate two of the reactors, one at a new power station in Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey in Wales, and one in Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire.
The projects will create tens of thousands of jobs and eventually provide 5.4GW of electricity – enough for 10m homes, said Horizon.
The reactors’ approvals came at the end of a four-year Generic Design Assessment (GDA) by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.
“This is a huge milestone for Horizon and a major leap forward for us in bringing much-needed new nuclear power to the UK,” said Horizon CEO Duncan Hawthorne. “Nuclear can deliver high volumes of stable, low-carbon energy, which makes it a vital part of the country’s electricity mix… once up-and-running, both Wylfa Newydd and our Oldbury site will supply clean, reliable power to the UK for decades to come.”
Meeting regulators’ high standards within a five-year target highlights the “outstanding design” of the reactors, said Tadashi Kume, president of Hitachi-GE. This week, an IMechE report called on the government to run an independent review of the assessment process to shorten approval timescales.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, welcomed the reactors’ approval. “With two thirds of UK power stations closing between 2010 and 2030, this is an important step in providing secure, reliable and low carbon nuclear power for the future, to homes, businesses and public services,” he said. “The nuclear sector already accounts for £400m of Welsh GDP. Future projects will build on this, creating highly skilled jobs and further economic benefit to the communities in which it will be built.”
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