Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething has said a research reactor at Trawsfynydd could create jobs and provide vital medical isotopes.

Research reactors are nuclear reactors used for research, development, education and training. They produce neutrons for use in industry and medicine.

WalesOnline reports Vaughan Gething said “At Trawsfynydd there is an opportunity, not just for a smaller reactor but also a research reactor.

“One of our main concerns about Brexit was medical radio isotopes for treatment in our health service.”

Medical isotopes are used in radiopharma-ceuticals, medicines used for the diagnosis and management of some cancers and other chronic diseases.

Vaughan Gething explained “We do know there is going to be a gap in the not too distant future in radio isotope production so we are going to need to have an alternative plan in place to produce that.

“There is an opportunity to do that in the UK where Trawsfynydd is the ideal site.”

The Welsh Government announced last year it would create a nuclear development company called Cwmni Egino to re-establish Trawsfynydd as a location for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as to explore installing a medical research reactor to provide medical radioisotopes.

Vaughan Gething said “That requires the UK Government to work with us to do that because of the different split in powers. I think there is a real opportunity there to not just provide something useful for the health service but real economic gain for that part of north west Wales.”