The UK’s Welsh Affairs Committee has pressed energy secretary Malcolm Wicks on extending the life of the Wylfa plant located on the island of Anglesey.
The 980MWe dual Magnox plant is an important source of power for local employer Anglesey Aluminium, which has a fixed-price contract for its 250MWe requirement until September 2009. The plant is currently scheduled for permanent shutdown in 2010.
Wicks said it such decisions were up to the plant operator, British Nuclear Group, and owner the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, which is studying the issue. He added that the aluminium plant could be supplied via the national grid when Wylfa closes. However, high wholesale prices are expected to leave the facility economically unviable under such circumstances.
