Great British Nuclear (GBN) was established in July 2024 under the Energy Act 2023 as an executive non-departmental public body and the UK government’s dedicated delivery body for new nuclear projects. Its role includes:
- Delivering the government’s SMR programme — in February 2025, GBN selected Rolls-Royce SMR after a two-year competitive process.
- Delivering other parts of the government’s civil nuclear programme.
- Advising government on barriers to investment in the nuclear sector.
- GBN acquired the Wylfa site in Anglesey and the Oldbury site in Gloucestershire from Hitachi in 2024 as potential locations for SMR deployment.
The UK government’s Civil Nuclear Roadmap to 2050 sets out the ambition for up to 24 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2050, representing approximately 25% of the UK’s projected electricity demand.