400 suppliers line up to help build UK's first small modular reactors

More than 400 businesses have come together on Anglesey to find out how they can help build the UK's first small modular nuclear reactors, with the project's backers aiming for 70 per cent of the work to go to UK-based companies.

Rolls-Royce SMR and Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBE-N) hosted the two-day "Delivering Together" conference at Coleg Menai's Llangefni campus, as they move forward with plans for the reactors at a site called Gwyndod.

A new kind of nuclear power station

Rolls-Royce SMR says its "repeatable, factory-built approach" will give greater certainty and reduce the risk of delays, while building a national industrial capability to supply a whole fleet of reactors.

Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, said: "The Gwyndod project is our opportunity to transform the way nuclear power is delivered." He said the company's approach could support a UK fleet of its reactors "and the huge export order opportunity, starting with those already secured in Czechia and Sweden."

Opportunities for suppliers

Over two days, delegates heard about the opportunities on offer, the standards they would need to meet, and how to prepare to join the supply chain. Smaller firms were given tailored guidance, and meet-the-buyer sessions put businesses face to face with the delivery team.

The project aims to deliver 70 per cent of its content through UK-based companies, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs in North Wales and across the UK. More than 300 apprentices are expected to be supported during construction.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "Our golden age of nuclear will create thousands of skilled jobs, attract billions of pounds of investment, and help drive down bills over time."

Simon Roddy, chief executive of GBE-N, said it was inspiring "to see such a significant level of interest and excitement from the supply chain to find out more about how they can get involved."

What it could mean for Birmingham

With a 70 per cent UK content target, the opportunities are not limited to Wales. The conference brought together suppliers from across the UK as well as North Wales and the international nuclear industry.

For engineering and manufacturing firms in Birmingham, the message from Anglesey is that the supply chain is being assembled now, and that understanding the standards required is the first step.

Wales at the centre

Adam Price, the Welsh Government's Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, said Wales wanted "to secure lasting value through skilled jobs, opportunities for Welsh businesses and stronger local supply chains", adding that the project "marks a new chapter for the British nuclear industry as the first SMR build."