A decade has passed since the iconic Wylfa nuclear turbines fell silent, leaving Wales without its last source of nuclear energy. This anniversary serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact this closure has had on the local community.
For the people of Anglesey, the past ten years have been a challenging journey. Job losses, stagnant investment, and an economy struggling to fill the void left by one of the island's largest employers have characterized this period.
Opened in 1971, Wylfa was the second Magnox power station in Wales, following Trawsfynydd. Its location on Anglesey's northern coast made seawater an ideal coolant, marking a significant milestone in Wales' industrial history.
Coincidentally, this era also witnessed the opening of Anglesey Aluminium in nearby Holyhead, bringing long-term skilled employment to a predominantly agricultural and Welsh-speaking island.
Despite operating beyond its planned lifespan, Wylfa's reactors were among the oldest in the world by the early 2010s. The decision to shut down the last reactor on December 30, 2015, marked the end of an era.
Gron Williams, a lifelong resident of Holyhead, dedicated his entire working life to Wylfa. Starting his apprenticeship in 1965, he witnessed the construction of the plant, describing the excitement of seeing the big steel spheres being constructed and the concrete being poured.
"It brought change and wealth to the island," Mr. Williams reminisced. "People could afford their own homes and start businesses."
However, despite extensions, the second reactor was shut down in 2012, and Reactor 1 followed in 2015, ending 44 years of operation. Mr. Williams, by then a shift charge engineer, was present in the control room when the final button was pressed.
The closure resulted in a significant reduction in jobs, with around 500 people working at the site at the time. Welsh, the language most commonly spoken there, was affected as well.
"Anglesey paid the price," Mr. Williams said, emphasizing the loss of investment and the impact on the island's infrastructure and language.
While electricity generation ceased, work continued at the site. Nuclear fuel was removed and transferred to secure storage, and the plant entered its "care and maintenance" phase. Eventually, all remaining buildings will be removed.
Site Director Stuart Law expects the number of workers to remain relatively stable for years, with 99.9% of radiation gone from the site. The focus now is on removing asbestos and unnecessary structures.
Ffion Morris, the site's engineering and maintenance manager, has worked at Wylfa throughout its operational and decommissioning phases. She emphasizes the importance of ethical and moral decommissioning to pass the site on to future generations.
"It's all about the relationships created on this site," she said.
For decades, a second nuclear development has been proposed on the island, but Hitachi's withdrawal from the £20bn Wylfa Newydd project in 2020 was a significant setback. However, the UK government recently announced that Wylfa will house the UK's first three small modular reactors (SMRs), with hopes of operation by the mid-2030s.
While some seek more details, skepticism towards nuclear energy persists among others on the island and beyond. Linda Rogers, a resident of Llangoed and member of People Against Wylfa B (PAWB), has campaigned against new nuclear developments at the site for decades.
"The 40 years of Wylfa have left us as one of the poorest areas in Wales," she asserts. She believes investment should focus on sustainable technologies like tidal energy, as proposed by Morlais off Anglesey's western coast.
"We should be investing in sustainable development," she said. "In 2024, 90% of new electricity was generated by renewables, proving the potential is there and growing."
Aled Morris Jones, a local councillor and chair of the Wylfa site stakeholder group, argues that the SMR proposal is the area's best economic hope. A council report last year highlighted the desperate need for investment in north Anglesey, where people of working age are leaving due to a lack of opportunities.
With a fragile local economy and a significant drop in birth rates, Jones emphasizes the need to look forward. He believes the UK government's investment brings certainty and optimism.
While SMRs at Wylfa are still a decade away, local people seek more details on timelines. Jones stresses the importance of keeping the community informed at all times.
As Wales marks ten years without nuclear power generation, Wylfa's legacy remains a topic of debate. Whatever happens next on the site will undoubtedly shape how this legacy is ultimately perceived.
