Wylfa power station, Hitachi, c Google Earth

Mott MacDonald and WSP will do the environmental work to ensure plans for three SMRs at Wylfa in Anglesey can move forward. Credit: Google Earth

WSP, Mott MacDonald secure £25m Wylfa contract

13 February 2026 10:36 Julia Hatmaker Comments (0)

Great British Energy – Nuclear has appointed the two global built environment consultancies to deliver a five-year environmental services programme, geared towards enabling the delivery of small modular reactors at the North Wales site.

The former Wylfa nuclear site was selected last year to be the home of the UK’s first SMR nuclear power plant, with the government committing £2.5bn for the project. SMRs are seen as the future of nuclear power, being smaller than most nuclear reactors and can be mass produced. The three proposed SMRs at Wylfa could power up to 3m homes, according to the government. The SMRs are being developed by Rolls-Royce.

The work WSP and Mott MacDonald have been brought on for includes conducting an environmental assessment and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Kenny Douglas, devco development director at Great British Energy – Nuclear, described the work as “critical to delivering the UK’s first fleet of SMRs.”

“The support of WSP and Mott MacDonald brings the depth of expertise needed to navigate a complex permissions landscape with confidence, pace and rigour,” he continued.

On Mott MacDonald’s end, the expertise in question includes “navigating complex regulatory landscapes and delivering integrated, end-to-end environmental solutions to major infrastructure programmes,” according to the firm’s environment, nature, and consents development director, Lucy Morton.

Morton continued: “By combining our significant technical excellence with a collaborative approach, we’ll help GBE-N secure the required consents and set a benchmark for responsible, low-carbon energy development, whilst ensuring that environmental considerations are embedded from concept through delivery.

WSP head of nuclear and energy sector director Stuart McLaren added: “Moving from first-of-a-kind to fleet at pace, without compromising safety, quality or environmental standards, is critical to success.

“Our role is to help ensure the programme is consentable and constructable, enabling timely, well-evidenced permissions that de-risk the critical path and provide delivery certainty as the programme matures, helping GBE-N turn ambition into delivery.”

Wylfa’s target operational date is the mid-2030s.