Wylfa nuclear power: Boris Johnson says new station 'going to happen'

Previous plans for a new nuclear power plant at Wylfa collapsed due to a lack of UK government funding

The prime minister has vowed that a new nuclear power station will be built at Wylfa on Anglesey.

Boris Johnson made the promise on a council election campaign visit in north Wales on Monday.

The UK government has been talks with two US firms interested in a scheme at the site - no agreement has yet been reached.

Mr Johnson said he wanted it to "get it going as fast as possible".

But Labour's Shadow Welsh Secretary said it was a "U-turn" by the Conservatives and doubted whether the proposals would come to fruition.

A previous plan for a new nuclear power station at Wylfa collapsed in 2020.

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Mr Johnson said: "We need to get the right type and we need to make sure that we go ahead with the right model.

"We want to make sure we get the right deal for the UK taxpayer.

"But we also want to have something that's really ambitious, and that is going to do justice to the scale of that Wylfa site."

He said there could be a "couple of reactors" put at the site.

"We're now working on all this very, very fast. We want to get going on Wylfa in the next couple of years.

"It's going to happen", he added.

Boris Johnson visited Rhyl on Monday

There would still be a considerable way to go before any deal is struck to build a new nuclear power station.

Any company interested would need to raise a substantial amount of private sector investment as well as receive significant support from the state.

On the visit Mr Johnson said he was not concerned that party-gate or a row over claims about Angela Rayner would affect the Tories council election campaign.

"This is an election about what candidates which candidates are going to deliver you value for money," he said.

"It's conservative councillors who deliver better value for money, better taxpayer value."

Energy crisis and nuclear

Labour Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said Boris Johnson's comments that a power station will happen at Wylfa was "another U-turn in a series of U-turns".

Ms Stevens said: "I really hope that he does fulfil his promise and it is true.

"But with this prime minister, you just don't know."

"We need an energy mix to deal with the current energy crisis," she said. "So this is good news. But we could have done with it before now."

A Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said while we recognise the investment and jobs new nuclear can bring the region it is important to note that this will do nothing in the short term to address the energy crisis and the impact it is having on people's bank accounts across Wales.

"We also believe that any development of the Wylfa site must be done with community consent and those that live near the plant should receive discounts on their electricity bills."

Anthony Slaughter, leader of the Wales Green Party, said: "A new nuclear power station at Wylfa is nothing but an expensive distraction and in no way an answer to the energy crisis and the climate emergency.

"We need to be reaching net zero as a matter of urgency, even by the most optimistic timetable new nuclear would would take a decade to be up and running."

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