Sue Ferns, Prospect’s senior deputy general secretary, responding to reports that Hitachi is to put the Wylfa nuclear project on hold, said:

“This is extremely worrying news, especially coming in the wake of Toshiba’s recent withdrawal from the Moorside project.

“To lose one major nuclear project is a serious blow, to lose two in six months would set alarm bells ringing about the sincerity of the government’s commitment to new nuclear.

“The Japanese Prime Minister was in Downing Street only yesterday – did the Prime Minister even think to raise the issue of nuclear new build or was the only thing on her mind the chance to take advantage of his visit to try to give another futile boost to her Brexit deal? It is fast becoming clear that if it’s not Brexit, then this Prime Minister and her ministers are unwilling to execute their responsibilities as a government.

“New nuclear is of significant strategic importance for the country, the government must not sleepwalk into an energy security crisis by allowing these projects to fail one by one.”

Our recent document ‘Making the case for new nuclear’ explains the need for more active government support: https://www.prospect.org.uk/news/id/2018/November/7/Prospect-issues-warning-on-UK-generating-capacity