UK picks North Wales as site for mini nuclear reactor, angering the US
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Britain chooses North Wales for its first small modular reactor, rejecting a US-led project and backing Rolls-Royce SMRs to boost energy security.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces Wylfa on Anglesey, an island in North Wales, as the location for the country's first small modular reactor, in Llangefni, North Wales, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 (AP)
Britain selected North Wales for its first small nuclear power station, a move that angered Washington, which had wanted a large, US-led plant built in that region as part of its strategy for greater involvement in the UK's energy sector.
Britain has backed the development of small modular reactors (SMR) as a way to quickly and cheaply increase energy security and meet climate targets, placing its pre-eminent engineering company, Rolls-Royce, at the forefront of the design, especially since large-scale nuclear power plants can take decades to build.
The new mini-reactors at the site, which are planned for connection to the grid in the 2030s, will deliver power equivalent to the needs of three million homes and are set to support up to 3,000 jobs in the local community during their construction.
The US government, a vocal critic of Britain's energy strategy, which it claims drives up prices and undermines the nation's stability, expressed its frustration over the selection of Wylfa on Anglesey, an island in North Wales with a history of nuclear power, as the site for the new small modular reactor.
US disapproves of the UK's decision
In a statement, US ambassador Warren Stephens expressed strong disapproval, saying, "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."
Despite a sustained push from the US for its energy firm Westinghouse to lead a large-scale project at Wylfa, Britain ultimately opted for the British-built SMR on the Welsh island, a region where the centre-left Labour Party is currently experiencing a decline in political support. The government has tasked state-owned GB Energy-Nuclear with finding a suitable site for a new large-scale plant elsewhere by autumn 2026, stating it will consider the project for that location.
In an unusually strongly-worded statement, the US ambassador argued that this approach would not get "shovels in the ground" quickly, nor would it bring down British industrial electricity prices, which rank among some of the highest in the world.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that while Wylfa was the best site for SMRs, Britain remained keen to work with the United States on nuclear projects.
"This is a sovereign capability so we want to use the best site possible for our flagship programme," the spokesperson told reporters, adding, "We will work closely with our US partners, they remain vital to Britain's nuclear future... (the decision) does not close the door to a larger plant elsewhere. We are keeping options open and making sure the US has a meaningful role in our plans."
Trump, however, has been a vocal critic of the United Kingdom's net-zero by 2050 policy, and instead called on London to drill more oil from the North Sea and criticized the country's windfarms.
