The UK nuclear industry has come out in support of plans to build a nuclear power station at Wylfa in north Wales and has called for the government to to buy other designated sites to facilitate small modular reactor (SMR) rollout in parallel with another large-scale project.

It was revealed earlier this year that Wylfa, in Anglesey, had been bought from Hitachi and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has now committed to it as the preferred location for the UK’s next nuclear station.

Wylfa, sitting on the north Wales coast, is ideally suited to host one given its proximity to cooling water and nuclear heritage, according to DESNZ.

Other designated sites for potential new nuclear are Bradwell, Hartlepool, Heysham, Lancashire, Oldbury, Sellafield and Sizewell.