Hitachi Wylfa Jobs Boost

by David Phillips
(Anglesey)

Thousands of jobs could be created as Japanese electronics firm Hitachi wins the Horizon bid to build a new nuclear plant at Wylfa on Anglesey.

After a competitive bid for Horizon Nuclear Power, following the decision of the vendors, German energy giants RWE and E.ON to pull out of new build in Britain, Hitachi secured the prize for a fee of just under £700 million.

The potential is significant for Anglesey and the wider regional economy around 6,000 construction jobs will be created during the building phase, followed by around 1,000 posts when the plant is operating.

The announcement will be greeted by many companies which form part of the potential supply chain for the new power station at Wylfa.

The First Minister of the Welsh Government, Carwyn Jones said: "This is very good news for Wales and the UK." Mr Jones added that the benefits of new nuclear build on Anglesey would be "substantial - not just in creating thousands of highly skilled jobs and boosting the supply chain - but in helping to secure our energy supply in the future."

It is also understood that Rolls Royce and Babcock International are part of the winning consortium. The other bidder was a consortium between US firm Westinghouse Toshiba and China's Nuclear Power Technology Corporation.

In taking over Horizon Hitachi will be looking to build up to 6 nuclear reactors (at 2 sites)in England and Wales, with the other site at Oldbury in Gloucestershire. This will be a real boost to addressing the concerns over security of energy supply in the UK.

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