200 nuclear jobs to go in next decade
DECOMMISSIONING WORK ENDING AS THOUGHTS TURN TO MINI-REACTOR SCHEMES
DECOMMISSIONING work at Trawsfynydd will be over within a decade with the current 200 nuclear jobs set to disappear.
That was the message from Snowdonia Enterprise Zone as it bids to find the best option to create new jobs in that part of rural Gwynedd.
Since electricity generation began at Trawsfynydd in 1965, the power station has continued to employ several hundred people,
peaking at almost 1,000 during decommissioning.
But that figure is now at 200 and this will reduce to zero by 2029.
The Snowdonia Enterprise Zone is now looking at the long term alternative and believes attracting the UK’s first small scale modular nuclear reactor is the best option.
This could create 2,500 jobs during peak construction and 250 long term roles.
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark has already said Trawsfynydd is an “ideal site” for this type of reactor on a visit to the plant last year.
Chair of their Advisory Board, John Idris Jones said: “There are currently around 200 core and agency staff on site, but this will reduce to zero over the next ten years.
“We need to think seriously about the future of Trawsfynydd, to try to keep the high level of skills of many of the workers involved here over the years, and to provide opportunities for future generations.”
The station ceased the production of electricity in 1991, and has been decommissioning since then.
The Enterprise Zone has considered a number of different energy options for the site, and concluded that, to maximise the number of high quality jobs created, Trawsfynydd could become a location for the development of a small modular nuclear reactor.
They say this could come with accompanying academic and industrial research opportunities and include the production of radio-isotopes used in modern medicine for diagnoses and treatment.
John Idris Jones, chartered physicist and consultant in low carbon energy development, added: “Having researched this thoroughly and reached this conclusion, we need to see how we can work with partners promoting a potential new installation at Trawsfynydd to ensure we sustain economic activity in the region and offer young, skilled local people a reason to stay here.
“Through Trawsfynydd, Tanygrisiau and Dinorwig, there is a heritage in creating quality jobs in electricity generation in Gwynedd.
“As part of the UK’s future energy mix, we see an opportunity to attract the UK’s first small modular reactor to Trawsfynydd, similar in output to the previous reactors, but much smaller in scale, requiring less funding and less time to install. We also see an opportunity for the production of radio isotopes used for medical diagnoses and treatment.”