Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumUS 'disappointed' that Rolls-Royce will build UK's first small modular reactors
As Keir Starmer announces SMRs to be built in Wales, US ambassador says Britain should choose a different path
Keir Starmer has announced that the UKs first small modular nuclear reactors will be built in north Wales but immediately faced a backlash from Donald Trumps administration after it pushed for a US manufacturer to be chosen.
Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, or Ynys Môn, will be home to three small modular reactors (SMRs) to be built by British manufacturer Rolls-Royce SMR. The government said it will invest £2.5bn.
SMRs are a new and untested technology aiming to produce nuclear power stations in factories to drive down costs and speed up installation. Rolls-Royce plans to build reactors, each capable of generating 470 megawatts of power, mainly in Derby.
The government also said that its Great British Energy Nuclear (GBE-N) will report on potential sites for further larger reactors. They would follow the 3.2GW reactors under construction by French state-owned EDF at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/13/us-disappointed-that-rolls-royce-will-build-uks-first-small-modular-reactors
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Gee. Who would have thought that alienating your allies at every turn would have consequences.
pfitz59
(12,080 posts)has been operating 'small nuclear reactors' for 70 years, without a serious incident.
NNadir
(36,937 posts)The could do a lot for humanity with that stuff.
I am not familiar with the Rolls Royce technology, but I am glad to see plans to build reactors in Wales. There are no reactors that are worse than fossil fuels.
There are plenty of needs around the world and the diversity is a good thing.
The time will come I hope when the United States will recover from its recently acquired pariah status. Until then, I applaud nations forgoing American exports. We are experiencing silent unofficial sanctions because of our orange pedophile.
I note that the British did more about their prominent pedophile, Randy Andy, than we did, thus far, about ours.
muriel_volestrangler
(105,199 posts)so I think this will be using that technology - as far as I can tell, just uranium-based.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_PWR
NNadir
(36,937 posts)...excellent source, at this point, after years of standing, of my son's girlfriend's favorite element, Americium, almost certainly the nearly pure 241Am isotope from the decay of 241Pu.
Americium has some beautiful features that in my opinion offer wonderful opportunities for advanced fuel cycles relying on rich neutronics.
I've been thinking about this a lot recently, for my notes for my son that hopefully will mean something to him when I kick off.
gay texan
(3,109 posts)Build quality on everything they do.
hunter
(40,181 posts)It is modular in the sense that many components can be built in factories and these components are road transportable.
This is not a "walk away safe" reactor design but it's closer to that ideal than its larger 1,000 megawatt PWR siblings.
The big advantage to Britain of this power plant over U.S.A. power plants is that most of it will be manufactured in Britain. Any reputation the U.S.A. had as a reliable trading partner evaporated with Trump.