Mike Graham, Prospect National Secretary, said: “This is the most positive sign yet that new nuclear build will happen in Anglesey. RWE npower now has the go-ahead for grid connections that would feed 3.6GW of electricity into the national grid, filling a major gap in the UK’s future energy generation.”

RWE has also acquired options to buy farmland at Wylfa, close to the existing Magnox nuclear power station, which currently meets 40% of Wales’ electricity needs, but is due to end generation in 2010.

Graham said: “For North Wales, and particularly Anglesey, the building of a new nuclear power station will create many hundreds of construction jobs in the near future, with massive positive impact on the local economy. In the longer term it will mean between 1,000 and 1,200 highly skilled permanent and well-paid jobs for nuclear experts. Prospect very much welcomes this announcement.”

He added: “When the current Wylfa power station ceases to generate there will be an opportunity for the younger staff to find new roles, giving continuity of employment and retaining vital skills within the industry in an area where there is already a major jobs shortage.”

The current station, one of the last two Magnox sites to continue generating electricity, employs 650 people, including over 200 Prospect engineers, managers and specialists. It is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and managed by EnergySolutions.