Hitachi pull-out from Wylfa nuclear project ‘disappointing amid increasingly obvious climate change’

The decision by Hitachi to formally withdraw from the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station project in Wales is “disappointing”, especially as the effects of climate change become increasingly obvious, the IMechE’s chief engineer has said.

Dr Jenifer Baxter made the comments today (16 September) after Japanese firm Hitachi confirmed it would be withdrawing from the project. Work had been suspended in January last year as costs rose, and the company was unable to agree funding with the UK government for the £16bn project.

“It is disappointing to hear that Hitachi have decided formally to withdraw from the Wylfa Newydd project, and the loss of a low-carbon power plant in a time when the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly obvious,” said Dr Baxter.

“I am hopeful, however, that our improved understanding of the opportunities nuclear power and co-generation with heat and hydrogen can offer will lead to renewed interest in this site in North Wales. Creating a low-carbon energy system that delivers electricity, heat and fuel for vehicles and industry means that the site at Wylfa has huge potential for becoming a home for innovative energy infrastructure.”

Hitachi-owned Horizon Nuclear Power would have developed two advanced boiling water reactors (ABWR) on the island of Anglesey in north-west Wales. The Japanese group said it had pulled out “given that 20 months have passed since the suspension, and the investment environment has become increasingly severe due to the impact of Covid-19”.

As the owner of the ABWR licence, the company said it would co-ordinate with the UK government and other organisations on the handling of the planned construction sites and other matters.

The pull-out, and other nuclear cancellations, could leave a gap in the government's plans for 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050. 

MP Stephen Crabb, chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee, said: “The decision of Hitachi to pull out of the Wylfa nuclear project is a blow for Wales and the UK’s ambition to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This was set to be the largest energy project Wales had ever seen, with a positive impact on skills and employment in the region.”

The project could have created 9,000 jobs during construction, the BBC reported.