No surprise that Great British Nuclear have dropped Trawsfynydd from their list of potential sites for new nuclear Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
The north Wales transmission grid has no spare capacity for nuclear as it will all be consumed by offshore wind which will be powering the country far sooner than nuclear can
In fact there is no spare grid capacity anywhere in north Wales, so Wylfa might be quite a challenge. It will need a subsea connection to either Merseyside or Pembrokeshire, although the latter will struggle for grid capacity once the Celtic Sea wind farms start up and Pembrokeshire power station is decarbonised with hydrogen and carbon capture
North Wales will still have no capacity for nuclear even if National Grid get to build their planned 400 kV line of pylons from Pentir to Swansea, mentioned in the Westminster Hall debate this week! The only new grid capacity planned for nuclear anywhere in the U.K. is the subsea Sizewell to Kent connection
With offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture racing ahead, nuclear is having to play catch up! But the Electricity System Operator does not anticipate much new nuclear in any case, so building closest to the high demand areas will make it easiest
Cofion
Jonathan
Dr Jonathan F Dean
Cynefin Bachau
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle