Anglesey Aluminium

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 2:47 pm on 11 May 2022.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 2:47, 11 May 2022

It really is hard to over-emphasise the importance of the site. Anglesey Aluminium provided very good jobs for thousands of people over four decades. We have to ensure that sustainable economic activity—a new era of good jobs, if you like—is brought to the site. Quite rightly, the priority of all of us after the collapse of Orthios was to support those who'd lost their jobs, and that support has to be ongoing, but we have to look to the long term. The potential is enormous, perhaps in developing plastics-to-oil further. It's good to see genuine interest in that, but also alongside that a range of other sectors—hydrogen, for example, which I think perhaps could be the most important of all industrial sectors in Anglesey in years to come. My appeal to the Minister is this: will he make it clear that an overarching priority of Welsh Government would be to ensure the integrity of this site? I would ask Welsh Government to do all it can, show willingness to take an equity stake in the site, even, with potential developers, for example, perhaps bringing in other local agencies too. This site has to succeed and we need control over its future in order to assure that.