The location of the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) – potentially the first of many - has been chosen.
Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales will be the site of the new power station due to be built by the publicly-owned Great British Energy-Nuclear and designed by Rolls-Royce. The project is backed by £2.5 billion in government funds.
Small modular reactors – smaller and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power stations - are expected to deliver power for the equivalent of around three million homes as part of the government’s clean energy strategy. Great British Energy-Nuclear will start activity on the site in 2026. The initial project will be for 3 SMR units, but the site could potentially host up to eight mini reactors. The aim is for the reactors to be supplying power to the grid from the mid-2030s.
Great British Energy-Nuclear is also looking for other sites across the UK that could potentially host such a project and is due to report back by autumn 2026. The project is expected to deliver up to 1.5GW of low-carbon energy to the grid.
The UK government said the project is the most significant industrial investment in North Wales for a generation, supporting 3,000 new jobs in local economy.
Simon Bowen, chair of Great British Energy-Nuclear said the first SMRs at Wylfa will lay the groundwork for a fleet-based approach to nuclear development, “strengthening the UK’s energy independence and bringing long-term investment to the local economy”.
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