Business
Wylfa nuclear power plant plans go ahead, creating Anglesey jobs
Gareth Lewis,Wales political editor and
Steffan Messenger,Wales environment correspondent
BBCA first-of-its-kind nuclear power station is to be built on Anglesey, bringing up to 3,000 jobs and billions of pounds of investment.
The plant at Wylfa will have the UK’s first three small modular reactors (SMR), although the site could potentially hold up to eight.
Work is due to start in 2026 with the aim of generating power by the mid 2030s.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Britain was once a world leader in nuclear power, but years of neglect and inertia has meant places like Anglesey have been let down and left behind. Today, that changes.”
The news was also welcomed by First Minister Eluned Morgan, who said she had been “pressing the case at every opportunity for Wylfa’s incredible benefits”.
She described it as “the moment Ynys Môn and the whole of Wales has been waiting for”, using the Welsh name for Anglesey.
The project, which could power about three million homes, will be built by publicly owned Great British Energy-Nuclear and is backed by a £2.5bn investment from the UK government.
Simon Bowen, chair of Great British Energy-Nuclear, said: “This is a historic moment for the UK, and is another momentous step in realising Britain’s potential in leading the way on nuclear energy.
“These first SMRs at Wylfa will lay the groundwork for a fleet-based approach to nuclear development, strengthening the UK’s energy independence and bringing long-term investment to the local economy.”
The company has also been tasked with identifying potential sites for another large-scale nuclear power plant, similar to those being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk, which have the potential to power the equivalent of six million homes.
It will report back by autumn 2026, and has been requested by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to consider sites across the UK, including in Scotland, officials said.
It is not clear whether the SMR plans, which are smaller and more straightforward to build, rule Wylfa out from being considered after it was designated the preferred location in 2024 by the previous UK Conservative government.
The decision to opt for small modular reactors at Wylfa was criticised by the US Ambassador Warren Stephens, who said he was “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
He had been urging ministers to commit to a large-scale plant, with US firm Westinghouse having reportedly presented plans to build a new gigawatt station at the site.
“If you want to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible and take a big step in addressing energy prices and availability, there is a different path, and we look forward to decisions soon on large-scale nuclear projects,” Mr Stephens said.
‘Nuclear equivalent of an Ikea chair’
One industry expert described the announcement as “incredible”.
Prof Simon Middleburgh, director of the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University, said: “They’re smaller than the average reactor, built in a modular manner in factories and shipped to the site to be put together a bit like an Ikea chair.”
The planned SMRs “fit nicely” with the existing grid capacity at the Wylfa site, offering a similar electricity output as the old power plant currently being decommissioned, he added.
There were “a few more hurdles to go through”, he cautioned – from securing regulatory approval, building the factories required to construct the SMRs and training the workforce that will run them.
Opponents of the project point to the fact that a long-term storage facility for the UK’s nuclear waste is yet to be agreed upon and say investment in renewable energy schemes – wind, wave and tidal – is what Anglesey needs.
Dylan Morgan of campaign group People Against Wylfa-B told BBC Wales the proposed SMRs were far from “small” and were in fact “an unnecessarily big development of an unproven technology”.
“Modular reactor technologies have been touted by many companies internationally but are still only plans on paper,” he said.
Wylfa beat off competition from another site at Oldbury in Gloucestershire, with the reactors designed by British engineering firm Rolls Royce, subject to final contracts, which are expected later this year.
The UK government said the plant would help provide energy independence.
The old nuclear power plant at Wylfa was switched off in 2015 and previous plans for a large-scale replacement fell through in 2021.
The company behind the scheme – the Japanese industrial giant Hitachi – cited spiralling costs and a failure to reach agreement with the UK government over funding.
Sasha Wynn Davies – now chair of the Wales Nuclear Forum – worked as a senior manager on those plans.
“I will never forget going to the secondary school in Amlwch and speaking to some of the young students and pupils there to unfortunately say that we were not progressing as a project,” she said.
“I will never forget their faces as they were so sad on behalf of their hopes for the future but also for their parents and what it meant for the area economically and socially.
“So now let’s hope our time has come again and there’s hope for our young people in particular.”
There is a huge political component to today’s announcement, with Labour at a UK level keen to show that it means business when it comes to big investment in infrastructure projects and Wylfa should demonstrate that.
In Wales, the first minister has been pushing hard for Wylfa – and the announcement comes just six months before the Senedd election.
Morgan has been trying to strike a balance: differentiating the Welsh party from UK Labour, but also pushing for extra funding, further devolution of powers and big investment announcements from her UK colleagues.
She has certainly got the latter, although plenty of other issues such as reform to the way Wales is funded and devolution of the Crown Estate – the body which owns much of the Welsh coastline and vital to future wind power – remain unresolved.
Indian Railways has reached a global milestone in freight operations, securing its position as a premier international logistics hub. Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced today that the national carrier has achieved an unprecedented scale in its logistics division. Highlighting this achievement, the Minister stated, “Indian Railways has become the second-largest cargo carrier in the world.”
Building on this momentum, the Ministry has prepared a rigorous roadmap for the upcoming year aimed at systemic transformation. The government plans to roll out a series of weekly initiatives to modernise every facet of rail travel and transport. Vaishnaw explained the structured timeline, saying, “For 2026, Railways has resolved to implement 52 reforms in 52 weeks.”
The initial phase of this plan will prioritise the passenger experience, with a focus on improving the quality of onboard facilities. The Minister identified the primary starting point for this year-long agenda, noting, “The first reform is better onboard services in Railways.”
In addition to passenger amenities, the government is placing strong emphasis on the “Gati Shakti” initiative to streamline the nationwide movement of goods. This strategic focus is designed to strengthen the country’s supply chain. Vaishnaw confirmed the freight sector’s priority, adding, “The second concerns ‘Gati Shakti Cargo.’”
A cornerstone of the 2026 agenda is a comprehensive overhaul of sanitation and hygiene standards. The Ministry has developed a new blueprint to ensure that the rail network’s cleanliness meets global benchmarks. Detailing the specifics of the first major initiative, the Minister remarked, “Reform number one for 2026 will ensure proper end-to-end cleaning of the Railways… The concept of a clean rail station has been established.”
This cleanliness drive is not a short-term measure but a multi-year commitment to cover the entire Indian Railways fleet. The implementation will be phased to ensure thoroughness and consistency. Vaishnaw clarified the timeline, stating, “Over three years, this reform will be implemented across all trains.”
To ensure the success of these reforms, the Ministry is introducing a robust accountability framework. These measures will include performance-based contracts and the integration of modern digital tools to monitor progress in real time. Emphasising the shift towards professional and technology-driven management, the Minister concluded, “There will be clearly defined service-level agreements… There will be extensive use of technology.”
Craft beer brand BrewDog could be sold off after the company started the process to find new investors.
The Scottish beer brand recently announced plans to close all of its distilling brands, meaning it would no longer produce any of its spirits, including Duo Rum, Abstrakt Vodka, and Lonewolf Gin, at its distillery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer brands, including the highly-popular Punk IPA, Elvis Juice, and Hazy Jane.
Now, in a statement, a spokesperson for BrewDog said the company had appointed Alix Partners to “support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.”
The statement said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business. This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.”
Although no decisions have been made, a sale is under consideration.
In a statment BrewDog added: “BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the No.1 independent brewer in the UK, and with a highly engaged global community. We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.”
According to reports by Sky News, AlixPartners had begun sounding out prospective buyers in the last few days.
The company, which has 72 bars worldwide and four breweries in Scotland, the US, Australia, and Germany, said its breweries, bars, and venues will continue to operate as normal. It employs 1400 people across the organisation.
BrewDog’s founders James Watt and Martin Dickie are the company’s major shareholders alongside private equity company TSG, which invested £213 million in 2017, making it a 21 per cent shareholder.
In 2024, the beer brand grossed £357 million in sales, and it is a major independent brewer with 4 per cent market share in the UK grocery market.
Beermaker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help look for new investors.
The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a sale process.
Last month, BrewDog announced it was closing its distilling brands, sparking concerns for jobs at its facility in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer products.
No decision has been made in respect of the sale process.
A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.
“This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.
“BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the number one independent brewer in the UK and with a highly engaged global community.
“We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.
“Our breweries, bars, and venues continue to operate as normal. We will not comment on any further speculation.”
Brewdog operates 72 bars around the world as well as four breweries.
Former Princeton star Caden Pierce transferring to Purdue
Meghan Markle shares unexpected message with fans
Americans attending Olympics urged to ‘exercise caution’ after Italian railways hit by suspected ‘sabotage’
How a factory error in China created a viral “crying horse” Lunar New Year trend
Aye Finance IPO Day 2: GMP Remains Zero; Apply Or Not? Check Price, GMP, Financials, Recommendations
New York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
-
Entertainment1 week agoHow a factory error in China created a viral “crying horse” Lunar New Year trend
-
Business4 days ago
Aye Finance IPO Day 2: GMP Remains Zero; Apply Or Not? Check Price, GMP, Financials, Recommendations
-
Tech1 week agoNew York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
-
Tech1 week agoNordProtect Makes ID Theft Protection a Little Easier—if You Trust That It Works
-
Tech1 week agoPrivate LTE/5G networks reached 6,500 deployments in 2025 | Computer Weekly
-
Fashion4 days agoComment: Tariffs, capacity and timing reshape sourcing decisions
-
Business1 week agoStock market today: Here are the top gainers and losers on NSE, BSE on February 6 – check list – The Times of India
-
Business1 week agoMandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout