UK advances small modular reactor projects at Wylfa and Cottam

Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE‑N) has secured nearly £900 million in contracts for the United Kingdom’s first fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Wylfa site on Anglesey. A landmark agreement with Rolls‑Royce SMR will deliver three reactors providing at least 1.4 GW of clean, secure power and supporting around 3,000 construction jobs at peak, with additional thousands of jobs across the UK supply chain.

In Nottinghamshire, EDF and Holtec have formally submitted proposals to build four SMR‑300 reactors at the former Cottam coal‑power station. The combined 1.3 GW capacity would be enough to power roughly 1.2 million homes and could also supply electricity to a proposed large data centre. The developers cite the UK’s Advanced Nuclear Framework and potential expansion of Holtec’s UK operations, including a manufacturing facility for nuclear equipment.