THE Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, has today confirmed that he is extending the deadline for the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Power Station for a further four months.

In a letter to Duncan Hawthorne, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, the Minister confirms the extension is being granted in order for Horizon to “conclude discussions with [your] key stakeholders to secure the future of the project”.

The project fell into uncertainty earlier this year when owners – Hitachi – withdrew support for its plans.

Since then talks have been ongoing with other interested parties to find an alternative operator for the site.

Talking about the Minister’s decision, Virginia Crosbie, MP for Ynys Môn, said: “Obviously I am delighted that the Minister has made this announcement. I have been in regular communication with Mr Sharma and his team to back Horizon’s request for an extension.

“This decision keeps the opportunity at Wylfa firmly on the table whilst talks continue. I understand that the current discussions are progressing well and I hope that we will see positive movement in the next couple of months.

“Securing an agreement that will allow the DCO to be confirmed by the 31 April 2021 deadline will make a significant difference to the future prosperity of our island. I will continue to work with Horizon, BEIS, the local Council and other stakeholders to drive this to a successful conclusion.”

Councillor Llinos Medi, Anglesey Council Leader, said: "We remain hopeful that the DCO can be granted in the not too distant future. Anglesey Council will continue to play its part in the consenting process as requested by PINS and will maintain regular dialogue with Hitachi, Horizon Nuclear Power and both Welsh and UK Governments.

“Our Island had a constructive and positive working relationship with Horizon Nuclear Power as well as its parent company Hitachi. Whilst in operation, Horizon built a strong and principled relationship with both the County Council, and more importantly, the local community. It was keenly aware of local expectations and concerns – and we would certainly want to see this retained and embedded in any new consortium taking this hugely important socio-economic project forward.

“Wylfa is one of the best sites for new nuclear development in Europe and its future development has the potential to bring huge economic rewards and job opportunities for our young people over the next 60 years.

“The project also remains an integral part of the County Council’s Energy Island vision which would put Anglesey at the forefront of low carbon energy research and development, production and servicing. The economic benefits would extend across the Island, North Wales region and beyond."

The move was strongly welcomed in a statement by Horizon:

“We welcome this decision from the Secretary of State to defer his decision on our Development Consent Order for Wylfa Newydd. As we said in our correspondence with the UK Government in September, a delay to the decision on our DCO was the most sensible course of action given our live discussions with third parties about the future of Wylfa Newydd. Given these positive talks are still ongoing, another short deferral is in the best interests of the project and all those that would benefit from its successful delivery.

“Wylfa Newydd remains the best site for nuclear new build in the country and would bring huge investment and economic opportunities across Anglesey, North Wales, and the UK. Recent UK Government announcements, including the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the Energy White Paper, have confirmed that nuclear will be a key part of the UK’s future energy mix and therefore keeping the option open for new build on Anglesey is the best way forward.”