Miliband makes ‘no apologies’ after US criticism of Welsh nuclear plant plan

Ed Miliband has said he makes “no apologies” for the UK’s decision to choose Rolls-Royce to work on its first “small modular reactor” nuclear power station despite US criticism.

The first-of-its-kind project will be built at Wylfa, on Anglesey/Ynys Mon in North Wales by publicly owned Great British Energy-Nuclear with £2.5 billion in backing from the Government.

The reactors will be designed by Britain’s Rolls-Royce SMR, subject to final contract.

US Ambassador Warren Stephens issued a strong rebuke of the plans, saying Washington is “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

The ambassador had been pushing for a larger reactor at Wylfa, and US firm Westinghouse had reportedly presented plans to the UK Government to build a new gigawatt station at the site.

The Energy Secretary told Times Radio: “It’s true he doesn’t think it’s so great.

“The reason he doesn’t think it’s so great is because he wanted a US company to be at this site.

“Because he thinks it’s the prime site … I totally understand that, it’s completely legitimate for him to be making the case for a US company.

“We chose a British company, Rolls-Royce for this site, and I make no apologies for that.

“Our job is to stand up for the national interest.”

He said the other site that had been considered, at Oldbury in Gloucestershire, could “accommodate various other US companies” interested in building new nuclear in the UK.

Mr Stephens explained his dissatisfaction with the decision on Wylfa as being because there are “cheaper, faster and already approved options to provide clean, safe energy at this same location”.

He added: “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.

“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,” he said.

The Government also announced Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) has been tasked with identifying potential sites for another large-scale nuclear power plant, similar to those being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.

It will report back by autumn 2026, and has been asked by Mr Miliband to consider sites across the UK, including in Scotland, officials said.

It comes after the UK and US agreed a nuclear partnership in September, potentially worth around £76bn.

Small modular reactors (SMR) are mini nuclear power stations which are smaller and designed to be installed on site as prefabricated modules, with hopes the technology will be quicker to build than more traditional plants such as Hinkley Point C.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the announcement would support up to 3,000 jobs in the local economy at the height of construction.

And 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 said.

The UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors are expected to generate enough electricity to power three million homes.

Prime Minister 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.”

The move is part of plans to shift to nuclear power and other clean energy, such as renewables, which the Government hopes will bring down prices and boost the UK’s energy sovereignty.

The Energy Department said GBE-N will start activity on the site in 2026, with an initial project for three reactors, but the site could potentially hold up to eight of the mini power plants.

It is hoped the Wylfa reactors will start supplying power to the grid from the mid-2030s.

Officials also said there would be export opportunities for SMRs, and potential for new nuclear at the former site of Oldbury in Gloucestershire, owned by GBE-N.