Government planning three Rolls-Royce SMR nuclear plants at north Wales site
UK government body Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) has awarded a $406m (€349m) contract to a joint venture between US-based Amentum and UK company Cavendish Nuclear to serve as the owner’s engineer for its flagship small modular reactor (SMR) project in the UK.
This long-term agreement, with a maximum duration of 14 years, will support the deployment of three Rolls-Royce SMR plants at the Wylfa site in north Wales. Amentum said the contract represents a significant milestone in advancing the UK’s clean energy ambitions and the rollout of its first SMRs.
The Amentum-led joint venture, known as Litmus Nuclear, will play a pivotal role in the SMR programme by delivering independent assurance and expert technical guidance across critical areas, including design, safety, engineering, construction, and commissioning. This support is designed to help GBE-N achieve its goal of securing a final investment decision for the deployment of SMRs at the Wylfa site.
The joint venture will also ensure the SMR programme meets regulatory requirements and is poised to deliver reliable, low-carbon power for decades to come.
In November 2025, the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said Wylfa, on the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh), would be the site for the country’s first SMRs. The 470-MW Rolls-Royce reactors are smaller and designed to be built more quickly than some traditional nuclear power stations.
Wylfa has two 490-MW gas-cooled reactor units that were permanently shut down in 2012 and 2015.
Amentum’s UK division is the delivery partner for project and construction management services at the Hinkley Point C nuclear project in England. It is also sole programme and project management delivery partner at the planned Sizewell.
