30 December 2008 - RWE Npower has secured a connection to the National Grid for a possible new nuclear power station on Anglesey, UK.
Npower has also been given the option to buy farmland close to the island's Wylfa nuclear power plant, which is set to stop generating electricity in 2010.
The company said a new plant could provide electricity to five million homes and its chief executive said it is serious about new nuclear options.
The Department for Business is looking at suitable sites for new stations.
Energy companies have been invited to bring forward their proposals, ahead of a final decision.
The current Wylfa station, which opened in 1971 and employs about 800 people, is due to close and be decommissioned.
But there has been a local campaign to secure one of the new generation of nuclear stations for the area.
The latest development towards hopes of a Wylfa B has been welcomed by union and local community leaders.
Npower, owned by German energy giant RWE, said it would consult with local residents before making any firm plans.
Chief executive Andrew Duff said: "We are serious and committed to progressing new nuclear options. Anglesey's nuclear heritage means it has great potential as a location for new nuclear build.
"A new station at Wylfa could deliver significant economic benefits to the area through direct investment, employment and supply chain opportunities.
"Transfer of skills, as the existing station is decommissioned and a new one constructed, could provide a real boost for the nuclear industry on Anglesey."
The company is already involved in the development of a new modern gas power station at Pembroke in west Wales, and is progressing offshore wind farms at Gwynt-y-mor and Rhyl Flats in north Wales.
Mike Graham, national officer of Prospect, which represents nuclear workers, said the announcement was the most positive sign yet that a new nuclear power station would be built on Anglesey.
He said: "RWE Npower now has the go-ahead for grid connections that would feed 3.6 GW of electricity into the national grid, filling a major gap in the UK's future energy generation.
"For north Wales, and particularly Anglesey, the building of a new nuclear power station will create many hundreds of construction jobs in the near future, with massive positive impact on the local economy.
"In the longer term it will mean between 1000 and 1200 highly skilled permanent and well-paid jobs for nuclear experts.
"When the current Wylfa power station ceases to generate there will be an opportunity for the younger staff to find new roles, giving continuity of employment and retaining vital skills within the industry in an area where there is already a major jobs shortage."