US ‘disappointed’ that Rolls-Royce will build UK’s first small modular reactors | Nuclear power
Keir Starmer announced the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors would be built in North Wales but faced immediate backlash from Donald Trump’s administration, which is pushing for a US manufacturer to be selected.
Wylfa, or Ynys Môn, on the island of Anglesey will host three small modular reactors (SMR) to be built by British manufacturer Rolls-Royce SMR. The government said it would invest £2.5bn.
SMRs are a new and untested technology aimed at producing nuclear power plants in factories to reduce costs and speed up installation. Rolls-Royce plans to build reactors, mostly in Derby, each capable of generating 470 megawatts of energy.
The government also said Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) would report on potential sites for larger reactors. They will follow the 3.2GW reactors being built by French state-owned EDF at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk.
The Labor government under Starmer has embraced nuclear power in the hope that it could produce electricity without carbon dioxide emissions, while also providing the opportunity for a major new export industry in SMRs.
But he faced the prospect of a dispute with the United States and was annoyed that his ally had overlooked the United States’ Westinghouse Electric Company in choosing the manufacturer for the Wylfa reactors.
Before England’s announcement was published, US Ambassador Warren Stephens issued a statement saying England should choose a “different path” in Wales.
“We are extremely disappointed with this decision because there are cheaper, faster and already approved options to provide clean, safe energy in the same location,” he said.
The Trump administration last month signed an $80bn (£61bn) deal with financially strapped Westinghouse to build several of the larger proposed reactors at Wylfa. Under the terms of this agreement, the Trump administration could take a stake in the company.
A source close to the UK government said: “This is the right choice for Britain. This is our flagship SMR program producing clean energy at home with a British company and we have chosen the best site for it.”
While the ambassador’s intervention is unlikely to change Wylfa’s future, it could put pressure on Britain to choose Westinghouse if it goes ahead with future large reactors.
It is understood that Torness, east of Edinburgh, and Hunterston, west of Glasgow, will be considered for future large reactors. Ed Miliband, a source close to the energy minister, said the government wanted to produce nuclear power in Scotland despite opposition from the ruling Scottish National Party.
Wylfa produced nuclear power from 1971 until 2015, when its last reactor was shut down. Japan’s Hitachi tried to build a new plant there, but those efforts collapsed in 2019 after failing to agree on financing with the government. GBE-N purchased the site from Hitachi.
Starmer said: “Britain was once a world leader in nuclear energy, but years of neglect and inertia have left places like Anglesey disappointed and left behind.
“Not only is this government reversing the decline, it is creating thousands of future jobs, stimulating billions of dollars in investment and delivering cheaper energy bills in the long run.”
But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said it would be a mistake to build three smaller reactors at Wylfa instead of one large reactor because it would not maximize the number of jobs for British workers. The union represents some workers in the nuclear industry.
“Failure to support a gigawatt nuclear power plant at Wylfa would be a major missed opportunity to ensure the UK’s energy security,” he said.
However, approval of a UK facility would be another welcome step for FTSE 100 jet engine maker Rolls-Royce, which was named the government’s preferred developer in June.
The company owns the majority of Rolls-Royce SMR, as well as Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, France’s BNF Resources, US energy company Constellation and Czech energy company CEZ, which could order up to six reactors.
Rolls-Royce SMR has more than 1,000 employees racing to produce the technology, which will also be installed in Temelín in the Czech Republic.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, a lobby group, said the Wylfa project was “an exciting opportunity for UK technology, our local supply chain and skilled workforce”.
He added: “We will need reactors large and small to achieve the amount of nuclear capacity the country needs for a safe, reliable and predictable electricity mix.
“There will be other projects using different reactor technologies and potentially more gigawatt-scale facilities beyond Sizewell C. Partnering with like-minded allies, including the United States, will be part of achieving this goal.”
