Energy firms reveal plans to build advanced modular nuclear reactors in UK

The agreements, announced ahead of US president Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, include proposals for new advanced modular, small modular and micro nuclear plants at sites across England. They form part of the “Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy”, a framework intended to shorten licensing times from three to four years to around two, by aligning regulatory processes in both countries.

Key deals announced include:

• Centrica and X-Energy: UK energy supplier Centrica and US-based X-Energy have announced plans for up to 12 Xe-100 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, with potential to scale to a UK fleet of 6GW. The companies said the project could generate power for 1.5 million homes and deliver £40 billion in economic value. They claimed work could start as early as 2026 at a site adjacent to Hartlepool’s existing nuclear power station, which is due to stop generating electricity in 2028.
• Holtec, EDF and Tritax: A proposal for advanced data centres powered by small modular reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. Valued at £11 billion, the scheme is expected to generate thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs.
• Last Energy and DP World: A development of what the UK government called the world’s first “micro modular” nuclear plants to unlock clean power supply for the expansion of DP World’s London Gateway port and business park. The project is backed by £80 million in private investment.
• Urenco and Radiant: A £4 million supply deal for advanced nuclear fuel (HALEU) to the US market, supported by Urenco’s new Advanced Fuels Facility in Cheshire.
• TerraPower and KBR: Plans to assess UK sites for the deployment of a Natrium advanced reactor. Each unit, which uses liquid sodium as a coolant to allow it to operate at higher temperatures and lower pressures than conventional reactors, would support around 1,600 construction jobs and 250 permanent roles.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the partnership marked “a golden age of nuclear”, describing it as central to energy security and long-term affordability. Energy secretary Ed Miliband added that the collaboration would “kickstart a golden age of nuclear in this country, joining forces with the US to turbocharge new nuclear developments and secure the technologies of the future”.

The announcements follow the start of work on a new conventional reactor at Sizewell C, which will follow the same design as Hinkley Point C, currently under construction in Somerset.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce small modular reactor programme has launched a programme to build small modular reactors, having been selected as preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy in June this year.

The government has pledged £2.5 billion for the small modular reactor programme in this Spending Review period with the aim of bringing them online in the 2030s.

Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, said, “As the preferred bidder to develop the UK’s first Small Modular Reactors (SMR) we particularly welcome the commitment of the UK Government and Great British Energy – Nuclear to speed up deployment, through an accelerated licencing process alongside vital planning reforms, to get nuclear project sites in the UK approved more quickly. Delivering our three SMRs will enable us to support an average of almost 8,000 highly skilled UK jobs per year and accelerate the delivery of power to the grid, reducing energy bills, to the mid-2030s.

“We are also pleased to announce we have entered the US regulatory process for our SMR, a critical step to paving the way for additional jobs and investment potential in the US.”