The Government has announced a first-of-its-kind nuclear power station will be built in Wales – but faced criticism from the White House after it pushed for a US manufacturer to build at the site.
The small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant will be built Wylfa, on Anglesey/Ynys Mon in North Wales, backed by £2.5billion of Government funding.
It will be built by publicly-owned Great British Energy-Nuclear and, subject to final contract, designed by Rolls-Royce.
Work on the site will begin on 2026 and initially be home to three SMR’s – which are smaller and quicker to build than traditional reactors – though could hold up to eight mini power plants.
The project has however sparked immediate backlash from the US, with ambassador Warren Stephens describing his country as “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
The US ambassador for Britain had been pushing for a larger reactor at Wylfa and US firm Westinghouse is understood to have presented plans to the Government to build a new gigawatt station at the site.
Mr Stephens said: “We are extremely disappointed by this decision, not least because there are cheaper, faster, and already-approved options to provide clean, safe energy at this same location.
“If you want to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible and take a big step in addressing energy prices and availability, there is a different path and we look forward to decisions soon on large scale nuclear projects.
The SMR nuclear power plant will be built Wylfa, on Anglesey/Ynys Mon in North Wales
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“As I have repeatedly said, we want the UK to be the strongest possible ally to the United States and high energy costs are an impediment to that.”
A US department source said the decision had angered President Trump’s officials who allegedly were given little warning of it, according to The Telegraph.
One source said “the Americans are now very p****d off”.
It comes after the UK and US agreed a nuclear partnership in September, potentially worth around £76billion.
Ambassador Warren Stephens said the US was ‘extremely disappointed’ by the decision
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The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the announcement of the new power station would support up to 3,000 jobs in the local economy at the height of construction.
It would allow Wylfa, where previous attempts to bring back nuclear power to the site of a former reactor had failed, to become a “beacon: of a nuclear golden age”, the department added .
Sir Keir Starmer 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.
“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.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said nuclear power and other clean energy, such as renewables, offered the chance of “energy sovereignty and energy abundance” which “every sensible nation needs in the 21st century”.
First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan added: “This is the moment Ynys Mon and the whole of Wales has been waiting for.
“New nuclear is a step into the future with secure jobs and secure energy guaranteed for the next generation.”
It is hoped the Wylfa reactors will start supplying power to the grid from the mid-2030s.
The Government has further announced that Great British Energy-Nuclear is looking to identify potential sites for another large-scale nuclear power plant, similar to those being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.
