A £300 million scheme to deploy four micro-nuclear plants in Bridgend to provide power to manufacturers has moved a step closer.
Prosiect Egni Glan Llynfi will see the micro modular 20 MWe nuclear power plants built on a vacant site that housed the coal-fired Llynfi Power Station from 1951 to 1977. The plants will deliver power to mid-size manufacturers throughout the region.
Last Energy, a Washington D.C.-based micro-nuclear technology developer, has now announced confirmation from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UK’s nuclear regulator, that it has formally entered the nuclear site licensing (NSL) process for its plans to develop the microreactors.
It aims to deliver the first plant in Bridgend by 2027, contingent on the licensing and planning processes.
The project now becomes the first new site for a commercial nuclear power reactor to enter licensing since the Torness Nuclear Power Station in Scotland in 1978. All British deployments since then have been on, or adjacent to, sites with existing or former nuclear plants.
Last Energy said it was “proud to pioneer nuclear development where it is needed, not only where it has historically been, and take a leading role in advancing the UK’s goals for greater siting flexibility”.
The company said it would not require public funding for the development and estimates an overall capital investment of £300 million in equipment, services, and other development-related activities. It said it plans to source at least 10% of its needs from South Wales suppliers, translating to a £30 million local economic investment – not including business rates collected by Bridgend County Council – and at least 100 full-time jobs.
Taken together, the plants’ annual output will be equivalent to the amount of energy consumed by approximately 244,000 UK homes per year, alleviating grid restraints and contributing to the Welsh Government’s 2030 net zero targets as well as national climate goals, Last Energy said.
In December the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) issued Last Energy a $103.7 million letter of intent confirming the bank’s willingness to finance end-to-end delivery of the company’s first microreactor in South Wales.
In January Last Energy accepted a grid connection offer from National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) for 22 MW of export capacity.
Michael Jenner, CEO of Last Energy UK, a subsidiary of Last Energy, said:
“We are pleased to officially enter site licensing with ONR, as we continue to make tangible progress toward the delivery of our first microreactor in Wales.
“This is another critical milestone necessary to unlock nuclear power at scale in the UK, which will help meet growing energy demand and alleviate grid restraints. We appreciate ONR’s efforts during early engagement, which has allowed us to accelerate through the process swiftly. We also very much welcome that ONR has applied proportionality during their engagement with us, as this is a critical enabler for realising the benefits of small modular reactors.”
An Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) spokesperson said:
“We can confirm that Last Energy has entered our nuclear site licensing process.
“The licensing process is fundamental in ensuring that prospective licensees of a nuclear site are ready and able to meet their obligations under the nuclear site licence to protect their workforce and the public.
“Last Energy has been participating in our early regulatory engagement framework since May 2024, which enables applicants to develop their understanding of regulatory processes and expectations early on in their projects.
“Our inspectors will now provide pre-application advice to Last Energy as it prepares its application for a nuclear site licence. This advice will inform Last Energy of the regulatory expectations and legal responsibilities of a nuclear site licensee in Great Britain.
“Our goal setting and enabling regulatory regime is in place to ensure that high standards of safety, security and safeguards are upheld.”
Last Energy says that by “productising” nuclear energy it is transforming power generation for data centres, manufacturers and other industrial customers throughout the United States and Europe.
