07-05-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Ynys Mon MP to urge UK Government to act on Wylfa Newydd
Plaid Cymru's Llinos Medi will lead a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, May 7, calling for an end to decades of delay.
Wylfa, located on Anglesey, was a nuclear power station that generated electricity for 44 years before closing in 2015.
Plans for a successor project, Wylfa Newydd, were first proposed in 2009 but were paused in 2019 and scrapped in 2021 after Hitachi withdrew due to a failure to reach a funding agreement with the then Conservative UK Government.
During the 2024 General Election, Labour pledged to 'end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power' and committed to 'explore the opportunities for new nuclear at Wylfa.'
Since her election in July 2024, Ms Medi has raised the issue 11 times in the House of Commons, submitted 10 written parliamentary questions to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and written to the Secretary of State to request clarification.
During the Westminster Hall debate, Ms Medi is expected to challenge the UK Government on its ongoing consultation regarding new nuclear sites under its draft planning policy (EN-7), warning that removing the list of preferred sites creates harmful uncertainty and threatens crucial investment in Wales and across the UK..
She is set to call for future nuclear development, including next-generation technologies such as Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMRs and AMRs), to be prioritised at existing sites approved under the previous policy document, EN-6, before considering alternative locations.
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Ms Medi said: "It's astonishing that Wylfa, a site with proven capability, global potential and cross-party support, has been stuck in limbo for decades.
"People in North Anglesey are fed up with Labour, and the Tories before them, dragging their feet on this.
"Investors are ready, the community is supportive, and the need for clean, secure energy has never been greater.
"What we need now is leadership, a clear decision, a funding commitment, and a timeline to match the urgency of the moment.
"The UK Government's decision to consult on a new planning policy without committing to established sites like Wylfa is creating damaging uncertainty and deterring the very investment we need.
"Wylfa is the best site in Europe for a new nuclear project.
"What we need now is a clear strategic business case, a funding commitment, and a timeline that gives developers the confidence to move forward.
"I'm calling for future nuclear development, including next-generation technologies such as Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMRs and AMRs), to be prioritised at existing sites approved under the previous policy document EN-6 before other sites are looked at.
"Investors are keen to invest in Wylfa, communities are supportive, and the need for clean, secure energy has never been more urgent.
"It's time for leadership and action."
