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”.
Using the Welsh name for Anglesey, she described it as “the moment Ynys Môn and the whole of Wales has been waiting for”.
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.
SMRs work similarly to large reactors, using a nuclear reaction to generate heat that produces electricity – but are a fraction of the size, with about a third of the generating output.
Ed Milliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, called the announcement “exciting” and said Britain is in the race for new reactors.
Simon Bowen, chair of Great British Energy-Nuclear, called the announcement an “historic moment for the UK”.
“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.”
Anglesey councillor Gary Pritchard said it was an “important step forward for new nuclear build on Ynys Môn”.
“If, as we hope, these plans come to fruition – it will mean economic certainty and prosperity for decades to come.”
Llinos Medi, the MP for Ynys Môn, said it was an “significant step” and a “game-changer” for the area “but only if local people see real and lasting benefits”.
Mims Davies MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, said there is no doubt the decision will bring much-needed jobs and investment but “the current plan will only generate a fraction of the power that a Gigawatt-powered plant would”.
