A proposed nuclear development on Ynys Môn could generate approximately 3,000 employment opportunities for local residents during its most intensive construction phase, according to industry groups that have released a comprehensive employment mapping document for Wales.
The Nuclear Industry Association, in conjunction with the Wales Nuclear Forum, documented 2,210 positions within member companies engaged in activities spanning decommissioning operations, engineering disciplines, and specialist service provision.
Project Gwyndod, developed through collaboration between Great British Energy – Nuclear and Rolls-Royce SMR, is anticipated to sustain an additional 5,000 positions throughout the broader United Kingdom supply chain during peak construction activity.
These employment projections relate specifically to the period of maximum construction activity rather than representing ongoing permanent positions.
Decommissioning activities continue to provide substantial employment.
The employment map indicates more than 250 personnel at Wylfa, where electricity generation ceased in 2015, and over 190 workers at Trawsfynydd, where production concluded in 1993.
Employment extends beyond the former generating stations themselves.
The document lists 121 positions at Boccard UK in Flintshire, 85 at William Hare located in Newport, and 45 at Pro Steel Engineering situated in Monmouthshire.
These figures reflect participating members of the two organisations and do not encompass every nuclear-related employer operating in Wales.
Gwyndod is earmarked for a location adjacent to Wylfa, which received selection for the United Kingdom’s inaugural small modular reactor initiative in November 2025.
The proposal encompasses three Rolls-Royce reactor units with a combined electricity generation capacity reaching 1.4 gigawatts.
The Westminster administration allocated £2.5 billion toward supporting the small modular reactor programme within its 2025 Spending Review.
Rolls-Royce SMR has initiated a supplier engagement programme offering United Kingdom enterprises the opportunity to compete for contracts valued at up to £1.4 billion during the forthcoming twelve months.
The enterprise and GBE-N are aiming to achieve more than 70 percent domestic content across the reactor fleet.
A joint supplier conference is scheduled to occur on Ynys Môn during late October, providing businesses with information regarding upcoming contract opportunities and procurement specifications.
Llinos Medi, Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn, observed that North Wales possesses an extensive heritage in civil nuclear energy, and local capabilities and specialist knowledge should feature prominently within Gwyndod’s development framework.
She stated that, executed appropriately, the initiative could generate thousands of quality employment positions while serving as a fundamental element of national energy resilience.
Mair Rowlands, chairing the Senedd’s Nuclear Energy Cross-Party Group, emphasised that her principal concern involved safeguarding local resident interests throughout the development process, including the objective of maximising potential benefits while addressing inherent challenges associated with an undertaking of such considerable scale.
Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservative Party, and Helen Jenner, heading Reform Wales, both expressed support for the anticipated employment and contractual prospects for Welsh enterprises.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, urged the United Kingdom administration to proceed with implementing the Nuclear Regulatory Review to accelerate approval processes, decrease expenditure, and expedite delivery timeframes.
Critics of the proposal have nevertheless encouraged the Westminster administration to reassess its financial commitment.
Linda Rogers and Robat Idris, affiliated with a community collective opposing the scheme, communicated reservations to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh through an open correspondence regarding emergency evacuation procedures from Ynys Môn, management of radioactive waste materials, and the susceptibility of nuclear installations during military conflict and severe weather phenomena.
They additionally questioned whether electricity generated by the proposed reactors could adequately power artificial intelligence data centre facilities situated on or near the island.
The correspondence urged reconsideration of additional investment into these nuclear installations, advocating instead for expenditure directed toward electrical grid modernisation and renewable energy infrastructure.
Anna Lewis, serving as regional stakeholder and communications manager at GBE-N and residing on Ynys Môn, where her grandfather was formerly employed at the Wylfa facility, commented that for numerous individuals Wylfa represented considerably more than merely an employer, possessing a robust communal character and fostering relationships that have endured throughout lifetimes.
She expressed that the prospect of establishing a nuclear career within her local community on Ynys Môn constituted a genuine honour.
Another professional, Tommy Evans, commenced his career as an apprentice participating in the earlier Wylfa Newydd initiative and currently holds the position of internal hazards engineer at Rolls-Royce SMR.