Trawsfynydd deal saves 200 nuclear jobs
MORE than 200 nuclear jobs are set to be saved under plans to decommission and dismantle Trawsfynydd power station decades earlier than planned.
Under the original plan the Gwynedd site would have lain dormant for decades – with nearly all the site jobs lost – before the last stages of decommissioning were carried out.
Now that work could be fast-forwarded at Trawsfynydd, which stopped operating in 1993.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and site owner Magnox announced their intention of bringing forward reactor decommissioning in a move that could secure employment there for the next 20 years.
It means the reactor buildings would come down in the coming years as the site is dismantled.
Angharad Rayner, Trawsfynydd site director, said: “This is really good news that can secure employment and further opportunities for local people.
“The opportunity to remove the reactors down to the ground is an exhilarating prospect that will be part of a technological showcase to fully decommission the first civil nuclear reactor in the UK.”
It is early days in the planning stages but they envisage a programme of 20 years to deliver three main phases: remove the reactor building’s concrete panel outer shell down to ground level; increase the height of the inner walls to gain leverage to access the reactor, remove the six 1,000-tonne boilers stored in sections and the 45-tonne overhead crane from each reactor for off-site disposal and remove the reactors, their components and the reactor core; and demolish the remaining reactor buildings and cap their footprint in accordance with planning consent requirements, and finally landscape.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said: “Trawsfynydd site has been chosen to lead Magnox’s reactor decommissioning project, following a strategic decision by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
“This will help secure employment in the area for the next two decades and could lead to further opportunities.
“The new skills and learning gained from the revised programme at Trawsfynydd will be used to inform the decommissioning and hazard reduction work across the Magnox sites and the whole of the NDA group, sharing best practice and delivering value for the UK taxpayer.”
Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “I’m told the number of posts on site is expected to increase to around 250 during 2021.
“Every effort should be made to ensure local people can continue to benefit from these opportunities.
“Presently, 97% of the workforce live in north Wales, and 85% are Welshspeakers.
“I understand that the UK Government has given the go-ahead for today’s announcement and I look forward to working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, site managers and local stakeholders to bring forward the final business case by March next year.”
Minister for Economy and North Wales Ken Skates said: “The announcement from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority about Trawsfynydd is good news for the region.
“It has the potential to safeguard existing jobs and will confirm Trawsfynydd as a centre of excellence.”
Councillor Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “We are delighted that the NDA has announced their intention to present a business case for the continued decommissioning of the Trawsfynydd site without delay.
“This strategic change could mean that high-value jobs are kept on-site for years to come.”
The Snowdonia Enterprise Zone Board, Gwynedd council and other stakeholders have been pressing for the continuation of the decommissioning work for some time in order to secure the future of high-quality employment at the Trawsfynydd site.