Wylfa Selected for Rolls-Royce SMR Units, US-UK Nuclear Partnership Faces Strain
The Wylfa site on Anglesey (Ynys Môn) has been chosen to host three Rolls-Royce small modular reactor (SMR) units, with the potential to add up to five more in the future. Each SMR unit will generate 470 MW, meaning that a full build-out could exceed 3,200 MW, surpassing the generating capacities of Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C nuclear plants.
The land at Wylfa is government-owned, which has aided planning approval. The site brings a history of familiarity with nuclear operations, having previously hosted a Magnox reactor until 2015.
The UK government is prioritizing homegrown technology through Rolls-Royce SMR as its main hope to revive the domestic nuclear industry. Despite ambitions for cost reductions via factory fabrication, such savings have yet to be demonstrated on-site. The first electricity generation from Wylfa is not expected until the mid-2030s. Economic viability and proven cost reductions likely depend on building multiple units.
The decision to reserve Wylfa for Rolls-Royce's SMR is considered sensible; however, the potential for SMRs to export remains uncertain and should be approached with caution. Achieving economies of scale relies on an initial sizeable order.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador Warren Stephens expressed disappointment that the US company Westinghouse was not selected for a large-scale reactor project at Wylfa. This reflects a US preference to back domestic nuclear technology. The initial US-UK nuclear partnership is characterized as strained, with the US likely to pursue its own homegrown biases. This signals a departure from earlier optimistic rhetoric about a "golden age" of transatlantic cooperation in nuclear power.
