Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) is the public body that leads the UK government’s new nuclear programme. It was set up as Great British Nuclear and renamed on 10 June 2025. It is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and a sister organisation to Great British Energy, the publicly owned clean energy company. It does not supply electricity to households.
The SMR competition
GBE-N’s main task so far has been choosing a design for the UK’s first fleet of small modular reactors, built largely from factory-made parts.
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Competition launched | July 2023 |
| Four bidders shortlisted (GE-Hitachi, Holtec, Rolls-Royce SMR, Westinghouse) | September 2024 |
| Rolls-Royce SMR named preferred bidder | June 2025 |
| Wylfa on Anglesey chosen as the first site | November 2025 |
| GBE-N and Rolls-Royce SMR sign contract | April 2026 |
The government said in June 2025 it would provide over £2.5 billion for the SMR programme during the Spending Review period.
Wylfa and status in October 2026
Wylfa, in North Wales, is the site of a closed nuclear power station. The government’s plan is for an initial three Rolls-Royce SMR units there, with GBE-N assessing that the site could host up to eight. Site work was due to start in 2026, with power expected on the grid in the mid-2030s. The government estimates up to 3,000 local jobs at peak construction.
The project still needs regulatory approvals and planning consent, so the timetable may change. Each Rolls-Royce SMR unit is around 470 MWe, larger than many reactors described as small.
Read more: Small modular reactors (SMRs) in the energy transition.