A REVAMPED nuclear power station could bring thousands of jobs to Dwyfor and Meirionnydd.

The nuclear scheme at Trawsfynydd, part of the Growth Vision For North Wales proposals approved by Gwynedd Council last week, would start next year and be completed in 2030 according to initial forecasts.

The former nuclear power plant, which was decommissioned in 1991, is within the designated area of the Welsh Government’s Snowdonia Enterprise Zone with its “inherent characteristics, infrastructure and grid connections lending itself well to further energy related development”.

£20million is required for the project but if it is realised, it is estimated the power plant will lead to 250 direct jobs, over 2,500 construction jobs, and support over 600 new long-term jobs across the north Wales supply chain.

It has the potential to achieve a leverage of £2bn in private sector investment according to a ‘Growth Vision for North Wales’ proposition document put before the county council last month.

“The aim is to enable the site to have the necessary licence to host a Small Modular Reactor and to base research activities in future nuclear technologies and associated systems on site,” said the report.

“Strong links have already been forged with key Small Modular Reactor developers, industry bodies, and governments, and consequently the benefits offered by the Trawsfynydd site are now widely recognised.

“There is strong synergy between this project with the ongoing and proposed developments at Bangor University, especially in Research and Development. The activities of the Energy Project, for example, will align closely with the Trawsfynydd Project, and enable innovation and testing to take place on advanced technology.

“There is strong synergy with the development of the Nuclear Sector Deal and the support for SMRs and Advanced Nuclear Technologies.

“This is a project that will be funded through the Growth Deal.”

A Small Modular Reactor is a compact, factory-fabricated reactor that can be transported by truck or rail to a nuclear power site and produce approximately 30 per cent as much energy as their much larger counter parts.

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