Wylfa SMR welcome but a future large nuclear project should remain an option too, says Prospect

The UK’s first Small Modular Reactor nuclear power plant is to be built at Wylfa in North Wales, bringing thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds of investment to the local area, the UK government has announced today.

The old Wylfa nuclear power station In North Wales is being decommissioned

The SMR, mini nuclear reactors that are smaller and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power stations, will be the first to be delivered by the publicly-owned Great British Energy – Nuclear.

Once connected to the grid, the SMR, designed by Rolls-Royce SMR, will be able to generate enough power for around 3 million homes.

Activity is expected to begin on the Wylfa site in 2026 and the ambition is to have an SMR supplying power from the mid-2030s.

Prospect welcomes the announcement of the SMR at Wylfa, which has a strong nuclear heritage, being home to a former nuclear power plant that is currently being decommissioned.

However, Prospect has expressed its hope that Wylfa would still be considered for a larger-scale nuclear power station in the future.

Prospect Senior Deputy General Secretary Sue Ferns OBE says:

“The nuclear renaissance can bring clean, reliable energy and good, secure jobs to all corners of the UK and it is welcome that government is pressing ahead with the SMR programme that will play a crucial role in the future of our energy mix.

“Wylfa has a proud nuclear past and a bright nuclear future, and is uniquely placed to play a key strategic role in the mission to become a clean energy superpower.

“The announcement of SMR deployment at Wylfa is welcome, but must not preclude the option of a gigawatt-scale nuclear project there in the future, and we hope and expect that the site will be included in the GBE-N study of potential sites for the next large nuclear project.

“Nuclear can support thousands of well-paid jobs and sustain local economies, and this announcement is the first page of the next chapter for Wales’ Energy Island.”