News and FAQs
Here you can find all the latest news regarding Horizon Nuclear Power and our sites at Wylfa and Oldbury.
If you are a member of the media and would like to speak to our Press Office, please call: 01242 713 677 (24hrs) or email one of the team: mediaenquiries@horizonnuclearpower.com
Click on the following links for answers to frequently asked questions on our sites and activity at Wylfa and Oldbury or visit the FAQs pages via the menu on the left.
HORIZON NEWS - 15.05.2013
Horizon signs design contract with Hitachi-GE for new Wylfa Power Station
Horizon Nuclear Power has announced the signing of a major contract with its reactor technology provider, and primary contractor, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi-GE).
The Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract sets the framework for design work to be undertaken for the proposed new build project at Wylfa.
Horizon’s Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: “This is a multi-million pound contract stretching over several years, and represents another major step forward in our project”.
“It will support our site development work, allow us to assess the best construction timetable for Wylfa, feed into our public consultations and support the supply chain development strategy. Wylfa is an excellent site for a new nuclear power station, and with the FEED contract in place we will be able to work with Hitachi-GE to develop plans to bring this project to life.”
Mr Hidetoshi Takehara, President of Hitachi-GE, said: “We are delighted to have signed this contract with Horizon, it is a further step forward in the early phase work towards site readiness.”
Horizon’s Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: “This is a multi-million pound contract stretching over several years, and represents another major step forward in our project”.
“It will support our site development work, allow us to assess the best construction timetable for Wylfa, feed into our public consultations and support the supply chain development strategy. Wylfa is an excellent site for a new nuclear power station, and with the FEED contract in place we will be able to work with Hitachi-GE to develop plans to bring this project to life.”
Mr Hidetoshi Takehara, President of Hitachi-GE, said: “We are delighted to have signed this contract with Horizon, it is a further step forward in the early phase work towards site readiness.”
“The FEED contract puts in place the commercial arrangements under which we will work up site-specific design plans for Horizon’s project at Wylfa.”
Horizon and Hitachi will be running supplier events next week in Llandudno and Gloucester to share information about the project with potential suppliers, and has recently invited expressions of interest in a small number of procurement opportunities.
Alan Raymant said: "The majority of the supply chain opportunities will flow from the manufacturing and construction programme, managed by Hitachi-GE on our behalf. In addition, there will be early opportunities to support Horizon's site development activities, and our work building our capability to become the owner and operator of nuclear power stations.
"We'll be looking for suppliers to demonstrate they can deliver to time, cost and quality. We'll also look for suppliers to be innovative in their proposals, making best use of the expertise locally, regionally and nationally."
Horizon and Hitachi will be running supplier events next week in Llandudno and Gloucester to share information about the project with potential suppliers, and has recently invited expressions of interest in a small number of procurement opportunities.
Alan Raymant said: "The majority of the supply chain opportunities will flow from the manufacturing and construction programme, managed by Hitachi-GE on our behalf. In addition, there will be early opportunities to support Horizon's site development activities, and our work building our capability to become the owner and operator of nuclear power stations.
"We'll be looking for suppliers to demonstrate they can deliver to time, cost and quality. We'll also look for suppliers to be innovative in their proposals, making best use of the expertise locally, regionally and nationally."
HORIZON NEWS - 10.05.2013
Date and location announced for Horizon’s May Open Surgery
Horizon Nuclear Power will hold its next monthly Open Surgery on Monday 20 May at Cemaes Village Hall. The event, which will take place between 1pm and 7pm, enables local people to call in and ask questions about plans for a new nuclear power station at Wylfa – no appointment is necessary.
Horizon’s plans to construct and operate a new nuclear power station at Wylfa will create a peak workforce of up to 6,000 during construction and around 1,000 permanent jobs over many decades.
Alan Smith, Head of Site Development at Horizon Nuclear Power, said: “These monthly events are a great way for us to listen to feedback and answer questions. For those who can’t drop-in to meet us in person, we’ve also recently updated our website - www.horizonnuclearpower.com - which enables local people to find out key facts about our project at the click of a mouse.”
“It’s still early days since our acquisition by Hitachi at the end of last year and we’re continuing to assess the options for our resumed development plan at Wylfa and the likely timescales involved in delivering the project. We’ll share more detail about our proposals in the months ahead as our proposals develop, but in the meantime we’d encourage anyone with any questions about our work to drop-in to this event or contact us via our Freephone hotline on 0800 954 9516 or email us at wylfaenquiries@horizonnuclearpower.com.”
HORIZON NEWS - 12.04.2013
Horizon and Hitachi Meet Secretary of State for Wales on Anglesey
The Secretary of State for Wales, the Rt Hon David Jones MP today hosted an event at Holyhead, celebrating the investment of Hitachi Ltd in Horizon Nuclear power, in a sale which was completed in late 2012.
The event, which was attended by senior representatives of Horizon and Hitachi Ltd as well as local businesses and stakeholders, was held aboard HMS St Albans, visiting the port of Holyhead to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Speaking at the event, Horizon’s Chief Operating Officer, Alan Raymant looked forward to progress in the year ahead. He said:
“We are confident that the year ahead will be characterised by real progress. This time a year ago we did not know whether we had a project. Today we have a committed shareholder in Hitachi, with formidable resources and nuclear expertise. We know the technology we will build at Wylfa, and we are moving into delivery mode.
“2013 will be a year of real measurable progress. And every step of the way we look forward to working closely with the people, communities and industries of Wales.”
Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nuclear Power Systems Business in Europe, Hitachi Europe Ltd, Masaharu Hanyu, referred to “the start of what we hope will be a very long and productive new relationship between our two companies and the people of Wales and Great Britain”.
He said: “Hitachi is making huge investments in helping to modernize the UK’s public infrastructure.
”With our acquisition of Horizon, Wales will be the centre of a huge new project at Wylfa to help the UK meet its future needs for low-carbon, reliable energy supplies.
“We intend to bring to the UK the same excellence and attention to safety and detail that we have developed in Japan, and to do this in partnership with British companies.
“We will use local institutions for training, and as we get into the construction phase I am sure that many hundreds of jobs will be created for the benefit of Anglesey and North Wales. We look forward to working with the Wales Office and Welsh Government to maximize these opportunities.”
HORIZON NEWS - 18.03.2013
Holyhead Company Awarded Horizon Contract
DU Construction Ltd from Holyhead has been awarded a major contract with Horizon Nuclear Power for demolition activities and associated ecological works to support the proposed new nuclear power station site at Wylfa.
The contract will see DU construction build alternative roosting sites for protected wildlife, such as bats and barn owls, followed by the removal of around fifteen unsafe and uninhabitable buildings on Horizon's proposed site.
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News of the new contract award follows a 12-month extension to the company's existing 'call-off' contract with Horizon for work including maintaining and refurbishing properties, so they can be let out to local families, and improving pathways and hedgerows.
Horizon's Head of Site Development, Alan Smith, said: “We were very pleased to see local companies bidding alongside others for this work, and are delighted that a Holyhead-based firm has been awarded the contract. This is important work to remove a number of unsafe buildings, many of which were already boarded up and in a state of disrepair before they came into our ownership at the end of 2011. Despite our best efforts since then, these buildings have suffered from numerous break-ins and vandalism, meaning they now pose a health and safety risk.”
All the structures earmarked for removal are currently home to legally protected wildlife including bats. Any works regarding the re-housing of bats require a European Protected Species Licence and approved, alternative roosting locations for protected species must be provided before any demolition work can begin.
Mark Blackwell, Director of DU Construction Ltd, said: “We are extremely pleased to have won this contract. From our previous experience of working with Horizon, we know they set very high standards, and I am very confident that our workforce is fully able to meet those standards.”
Speaking about the company's work with Horizon to date, he added:
“As well as making use of our in-house team, we've also been able to sub-contract other local specialist companies where required, including mechanical and electrical firm Lloyd Morris Electrical Ltd from Amlwch (LME) and J Taylor Plumbing and Heating from Holyhead.”
“We have been able to add to our workforce of 33 full-time staff, and we've recently appointed a new contracts manager.”
All work will be closely monitored by North Wales-based independent ecological specialists, Cambrian Ecological Partnership, to ensure strict guidelines are met. The demolition project is expected to be completed by the end of June, subject to Horizon receiving the necessary permissions.
Horizon can be contacted via its Wylfa hotline on 0800 954 9516 or via email at
Horizon's Head of Site Development, Alan Smith, said: “We were very pleased to see local companies bidding alongside others for this work, and are delighted that a Holyhead-based firm has been awarded the contract. This is important work to remove a number of unsafe buildings, many of which were already boarded up and in a state of disrepair before they came into our ownership at the end of 2011. Despite our best efforts since then, these buildings have suffered from numerous break-ins and vandalism, meaning they now pose a health and safety risk.”
All the structures earmarked for removal are currently home to legally protected wildlife including bats. Any works regarding the re-housing of bats require a European Protected Species Licence and approved, alternative roosting locations for protected species must be provided before any demolition work can begin.
Mark Blackwell, Director of DU Construction Ltd, said: “We are extremely pleased to have won this contract. From our previous experience of working with Horizon, we know they set very high standards, and I am very confident that our workforce is fully able to meet those standards.”
Speaking about the company's work with Horizon to date, he added:
“As well as making use of our in-house team, we've also been able to sub-contract other local specialist companies where required, including mechanical and electrical firm Lloyd Morris Electrical Ltd from Amlwch (LME) and J Taylor Plumbing and Heating from Holyhead.”
“We have been able to add to our workforce of 33 full-time staff, and we've recently appointed a new contracts manager.”
All work will be closely monitored by North Wales-based independent ecological specialists, Cambrian Ecological Partnership, to ensure strict guidelines are met. The demolition project is expected to be completed by the end of June, subject to Horizon receiving the necessary permissions.
Horizon can be contacted via its Wylfa hotline on 0800 954 9516 or via email at
HORIZON NEWS - 15.01.2013
Horizon welcomes step forward in reactor licensing process
Horizon Nuclear Power today welcomed confirmation that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has asked the nuclear regulators to begin formal discussions with Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., (Hitachi-GE) regarding the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR).
An application to DECC was made by Hitachi-GE earlier this month and relates to the reactor technology that Horizon proposes to use for its planned developments at Wylfa on Anglesey and at Oldbury in South Gloucestershire.
Horizon Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: “This is a significant early step forward. The GDA reactor licensing process plays a key part in enabling our plans to develop a new nuclear power station at Wylfa.”
“GDA is a rigorous and demanding process and we are committed to supporting Hitachi-GE and developing Horizon’s ABWR expertise in the process. The ABWR is a proven operational technology which we believe will bring significant benefits to Wales, including 6,000 jobs during construction, around 1,000 long term quality jobs during operation and major opportunities for companies in the supply chain.”
Discussing Horizon’s longer term plans Raymant said: “We look forward to setting out more detail on our strategy and programme in the next few months. As always, we will work closely with the local community and its representatives on Anglesey as we progress our plans.”
HORIZON NEWS - 15.01.2013
Horizon welcomes step forward on GDA
Horizon Nuclear Power today welcomed confirmation that DECC has asked the nuclear regulators to begin formal discussions with Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., (Hitachi-GE) regarding the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR).
An application to DECC was made by Hitachi-GE earlier this month.
Horizon Chief Operating Officer Alan Raymant said: “This is a major step forward at an early time in Hitachi’s ownership of Horizon. GDA is one of the key processes necessary to allow development of new nuclear power stations at Wylfa and Oldbury”.
“GDA is a rigorous and demanding process that ensures the safety case for the technology is robust. We are committed to supporting Hitachi-GE and developing Horizon’s ABWR expertise throughout the process. The ABWR is a proven technology which we believe will bring significant benefits to the UK”.
Discussing Horizon’s longer term plans Raymant said: “We look forward to setting out more detail on our strategy and programme in the next few months”.
