Plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) in North Wales have moved a step closer to reality.
Cwmni Egino, the company behind plans to develop the former nuclear power station in Trawsfynydd, has completed its first phase of development work confirming the viability of deploying SMRs at the site.
The developer has now urged the government to make a decision on SMR deployment to give developers certainty to progress their plans.
Development work undertaken by Cwmni Egino has concluded that land owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) could be suitable for a range of SMR technologies with the potential to generate up to 1GW of electricity.
The developer is hoping that the Trawsfynydd site can be the first SMR project approved by the UK Government with construction starting before the end of the decade.
Alan Raymant, Cwmni Egino chief executive, said: “In addition to meeting our energy needs and net zero targets, deploying SMRs at Trawsfynydd offers a huge inward investment opportunity for Wales. This is aligned with key policies and priorities of both the UK and Welsh Governments.
“We believe that Trawsfynydd presents the first, most credible opportunity to kick start a long-term programme of SMR projects in the UK, and catalyse significant economic growth locally, regionally and nationally. Cwmni Egino provides a development vehicle to drive this forward.
“Our plans are more advanced than other sites suited to small scale nuclear, and the work we’ve done over the past 12 months gives us added confidence that we can successfully deliver a project at Traws. We have already put in place a five year development programme which means our project can be ready for approval by the latter part of this decade – in line with the UK Government’s energy security ambitions.”
Raymant added that talks were ongoing with numerous technology providers. Rolls-Royce, in particular, have shown an interest in deploying its technology at the North Wales site.
Raymant added: “We’ve already been in discussions with a number of technology providers and there is significant interest in deploying SMR at Trawsfynydd. We will work closely with Great British Nuclear over the coming months to confirm the technology solution that best suits Trawsfynydd within the overall selection process for the UK.
“The other key area of focus for us now is to secure Government commitment to the next phase of the project. In particular, we need confirmation that Trawsfynydd is one of the projects GBN wants to be developed. This will give us the certainty that we need to unlock this opportunity and access additional development funding.”
Welsh Government Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “It’s great news Cwmni Egino has completed the first phase of its work at Trawsfynydd and that genuine progress is being made towards realising the company’s ambition to begin deploying small modular reactors on site by the end the decade.”
The UK government has set itself a target to roll out 24GW of nuclear generation by 2050. However, Rolls-Royce recently said that target was “meaningless without a plan” for achieving it.