The new UK company, Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, will form a joint venture with US engineering giant Bechtel and Japan’s JGC Corporation.

This JV will work as a Tier-1 contractor to developer Horizon, responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the £14bn Wylfa Newydd project.

Executive officer of Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Shunsuke Utena said: “Wylfa is a UK project, and it’s essential that we have devolved UK-management.

“While the details of our JV agreement remain to be finalised, I am absolutely delighted that we are close to bringing together a team of such proven capability.

“Bechtel and JGC are world-leading in their fields, and together we are primed to help make this project a real success.”

Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, which has held a front end engineering and design contract with Horizon Nuclear Power for three years, will continue to provide the UK ABWR nuclear plant design, and will operate under contract to the Tier 1 team, once fully established.