Anglesey chosen for UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors

The site of the island’s former Wylfa plant will be home to the country’s first three SMRs, which will be developed by Rolls-Royce and backed by £2.5bn from the government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that Anglesey will be the testbed for the technology, 10 years after Wylfa ceased operations.

The Prime Minister said: “Britain was once a world-leader in nuclear power, but years of neglect and inertia has meant places like Anglesey have been let down and left behind.

“Today, that changes. We’re using all the tools in our armoury – cutting red tape, changing planning laws, and backing growth – to deliver the country’s first SMR in North Wales.”

He added: “This government isn’t just reversing decline, it’s delivering thousands of future-proofed jobs, driving billions in investment, and providing cheaper energy bills in the long term.

“That’s national renewal in action: powered by British talent, powered by nuclear, and powered by a government that’s delivering for working people.”

SMRs form part of the Labour’s strategy to boost the UK’s energy security. The three at Wylfa – which could increase to eight over time – could power up to 3m homes and create 3,000 jobs, according to the government.

Each SMR could generate as much energy as 150 onshore wind turbines, according to Rolls-Royce, which was selected earlier this year as the government’s preferred SMR partner.

Wylfa has been a power hotspot before, with the Magnox nuclear station operating from 1971 until the start of its decommissioning in 2015.

In 2019, Japan’s Hitachi ceased work on plans to build the £20bn Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant on Anglesey.

The government acquired the site from Hitachi in 2024.

The site has been touted as a possible location for a large nuclear plant in the vein of Sizewell C. It is unclear whether it could accommodate both SMRs and a larger facility.