5. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Offshore Marine Energy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:11 pm on 17 May 2022.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 4:11, 17 May 2022

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, you will be aware that, in addition to the tidal sort of energy that has been talked about in south Wales, there has also been discussion about the prospect of a north Wales tidal lagoon, which could of course create up to 22,000 jobs, according to Wrexham Glyndŵr University, and generate renewable energy for up to a million homes. The scale of this would be from Prestatyn to Llandudno, offering some flood protection benefits as well.

In order to unlock the £7 billion-worth of investment to get that project done, there needs to be some seed funding of about £50 million to undertake some environmental impact assessments. Will the Welsh Government look at making a contribution towards that and working with the UK Government in order to deliver what I believe could be a hugely transformative project for the whole of the UK's energy industry?