The European Commission has given a “positive” environmental opinion for a nuclear power plant in the UK proposed by Horizon Nuclear Power.

Owned by Japanese firm Hitachi, the company plans to build a two-reactor nuclear plant on Anglesey, North Wales.

The Commission said the power station will not have significant health or environmental impacts on other member states, which Horizon stated is a “crucial enabler” for one of the key domestic environmental permits it requires for the Wylfa Newydd project.

Duncan Hawthorne, CEO at Horizon said: “Ensuring the safe operations of our power stations will always be our first and overriding priority and to get this approval – following a very thorough and detailed assessment by the Commission – is another confirmation that we are putting robust plans in place to do just this.

“We will now continue to work with the environmental regulator in Wales to take this clearance forward for the domestic permits Wylfa Newydd also requires.”

The UK Government recently said it is considering investing billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money in the project.