DECOMMISSIONING DEAL SIGNED

AN agreement has been signed between Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, North Wales Regional Skills Partnership and Magnox Ltd that will facilitate the development of a highly skilled regional workforce to continue nuclear decommissioning and contribute to future developments.

The deal between the partners will see them develop a crucial assessment of skills for future nuclear decommissioning in the North Wales region, with Magnox leading on the Wylfa and Trawsfynydd sites.

It is aimed at ensuring that the specialist training required is provided locally for businesses enabling them to benefit from decommissioning related work, and for young people in education to take advantage of future job opportunities.

David Roberts, chair of the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership, said:

“This agreement is a culmination of great work that the main partners and Welsh Government have undertaken over the past few months, and we’re excited to see the next phase of the work start in earnest.”

Nuclear decommissioning spend in the UK is worth over £2bn, with over £500m being spent by Magnox across its 12 sites per year. A change in the strategy will now see a new approach being taken at Trawsfynydd power station that will involve the full dismantling of the reactors.

Angharad Rayner, site director at Trawsfynydd, added: “We’re extremely pleased to be part of this innovative project which will help in our planning for the significant change in approach at Trawsfynydd, and also importantly the continued decommissioning work being undertaken at Wylfa.”

Dafydd Evans, chief executive of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, said: “This work will help provide insight into the pipeline of the skills required for decommissioning across the short, medium and long term and we believe a model that could be used for other sectors and industries.”