Shearwater Energy planning SMR wind-hybrid energy project in Wales

• 3 years ago (2021-01-19)
• David Flin

Europe 1061 Nuclear 640 Offshore wind 119

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UK-based Shearwater Energy has announced it plans to develop a wind-SMR and hydrogen production energy project in north Wales. The project would provide 3 GW of zero-carbon electricity and is also expected to generate over 3 million kgs of hydrogen annually.

Shearwater Energy has signed an MOU with NuScale for it to supply the SMR technology for the proposed project. Under the MOU, Shearwater and NuScale will explore opportunities for the generation of nuclear power based on NuScale’s SMR technology, offshore wind energy, and hydrogen production at sites in the UK, with a flagship opportunity being explored at Wylfa, Anglesey.

NuScale estimated that more than 75 per cent of the content of a NuScale plant could be sourced within the UK.

The UK has recently announced plans to expand offshore wind capacity rapidly by 2030 and invest in SMR development to meet net-zero carbon emissions goals by 2050.

Simon Foster, CEO of Shearwater, said: “Combining low-carbon generating technologies enables us to achieve similar performance characteristics to large thermal plants without the high cost, long construction time and environmental legacy. When fully developed, an SMR-wind plant at Wylfa will provide 3 GW of reliable, zero-carbon electricity at a fraction of the cost of a conventional nuclear power station with surplus energy generation focused on the production of hydrogen to support the transport sector’s transition to low-carbon fuels. Power generation at Wylfa could begin as early as 2027 .”