Hoping to start construction in 2020, Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe has appointed three companies to help it build the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant on Anglesey in Wales.
The plant is being built by another subsidiary, Horizon Nuclear Power, for which Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe will act as the architect and engineer, and will supply its third generation Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWRs).
It has appointed Atkins, a subsidiary of Canada’s SNC-Lavalin, to handle the project’s civil engineering. Houston-based engineer Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) will work on project controls, and Aberdeen engineer Wood will provide support in the areas of technical specifications, procurement and design integration.
Hitachi said: "Each partner will operate directly under contract to Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe and these contracts reflect the significant work under way to support preparation for construction of the plant."
Eric Chassard, Hitachi’s project director for Wylfa, said of the appointments: "Wood has been involved in every nuclear new build in UK history. KBR and Atkins are also world leaders in their fields, with clear and proven experience on projects of this scale and complexity. The pedigree, expertise and detailed knowledge of all three partners are second to none."
Horizon is presently preparing its planning application for the site, which is located on the Welsh island of Anglesey. It hopes to begin construction work in 2020 and to be generating 2.9GW of electricity around 2025.
The project has been marked by lengthy wrangling between Hitachi and the UK government over the terms of the deal, in particular the funding and the degree of risk that Hitachi was willing to bear (see "Further reading", below).
The company is also developing plans to build another 2.9GW plant Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire.
Image: The Wylfa Newydd site in Anglesey (Creative Commons)
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