News

£1.4bn in contracts up for grabs as major Ynys Môn nuclear project gathers pace

16 Sep 2026 3 minute read

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock (L) and Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR

Nation.Cymru staff

Up to 3,000 jobs could be supported in north Wales as UK businesses are invited to bid for £1.4bn worth of contracts linked to a major nuclear project.

Rolls-Royce SMR has launched a new supplier programme as preparations continue for the Gwyndod Power Station at the former Wylfa Newydd site on Ynys Môn.

The company says contracts worth up to £1.4bn will be available to UK businesses over the next year, as Rolls-Royce SMR and Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) aim for more than 70% of the content for the project to come from the UK supply chain.

Gwyndod is set to become the first site in Europe to deploy Rolls-Royce’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, with three reactors initially planned and the potential for further development at the site.

The project is expected to support up to 8,000 jobs across the UK, including around 3,000 in north Wales.

Businesses will be able to learn more about the contracts at a joint Rolls-Royce SMR and GBE-N supplier conference on Ynys Môn on October 22 and 23.

Rolls-Royce SMR says it has already spent more than £300m with UK-based suppliers since it was formed in 2021, accounting for 88% of its total spending to date.

It has held three UK supplier events and formally engaged with more than 650 businesses.

The new programme will include workshops, industry events and guidance for businesses seeking work in the civil nuclear sector, as well as opportunities to meet Rolls-Royce SMR procurement teams.

Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, said: “The scale of the opportunity available to UK suppliers from the Rolls-Royce SMR programme is very significant. Signing the contract with Great British Energy-Nuclear in April 2026 has unlocked a forecast £1.4bn opportunity for UK business in the first year alone.

“As the only SMR provider with multiple contractual commitments in Europe, we want to partner with the best of UK industry, to maximise their opportunity to contribute to our growing European fleet.”

Rolls-Royce SMR also confirmed it is working with Sheffield Forgemasters, which has carried out assessments of whether components required for Gwyndod can be manufactured in the UK.

The two companies are now discussing the potential supply of UK-forged components for Rolls-Royce SMR projects.

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock said: “This is a significant opportunity for businesses in north Wales and across the country to be a part of building the UK’s first small modular reactors, backed by a generational commitment of over £2.5 billion from the UK Government.

“The development of new nuclear on Anglesey is creating a world-class supply chain and helping deliver our commitment to good jobs and growth in every postcode.”

Simon Roddy, chief executive of GBE-N, said the programme was intended to strengthen the nuclear supply chain and help businesses compete for work in the UK and overseas.

Benefits

He said: “Working with Rolls-Royce SMR, we are supporting delivery of more than 70% UK content and helping to ensure the benefits of the programme are felt here in the UK.

“The Supplier Programme will give companies the tools and confidence to compete for work at home and abroad.”

The Gwyndod project is being developed alongside the site of the former Wylfa nuclear power station, which generated electricity for more than four decades before closing in 2015.

The area was subsequently chosen for the proposed Wylfa Newydd development, a conventional large-scale nuclear power station which failed to progress.

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