LONDON, Sep 15 : As part of ‘nuclear renaissance’, the governments of the UK and the US have announced a wide-ranging series of nuclear power deals in which multiple leading US-based companies will build projects overseas.
The nuclear deals by London and Washington, built under a new framework, are specifically designed to accelerate advanced reactor deployment and reduce reliance on Russian nuclear fuel.
The deals will be formally signed during President Donald Trump’s state visit to London this week, the British Embassy in Washington said, reports Axios.
Termed the ‘Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy’, the initiative promises faster safety approvals and regulatory cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic, alongside billions in private sector investment.
British officials highlighted the potential for job creation and regional growth, particularly in northern England.
In the largest announced project, Centrica will partner with US firm X-energy to build up to 12 modular reactors in Hartlepool, aiming for a six-gigawatt fleet that could create 2,500 jobs.
Holtec, EDF and Tritax will jointly develop data centres powered by small reactors at a former coal plant in Nottinghamshire, while Last Energy and DP World will construct what they described as one of the world’s first micro modular nuclear stations to power the London Gateway port, reports BBC.
Other deals include a $4.6 million Urenco-Radiant contract to supply High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to the US market, a step toward ending dependence on Russian supply by 2028.
TerraPower and KBR will evaluate UK sites for their Natrium advanced reactor, while the US will host a Global Fusion Energy Policy Summit next year to boost international collaboration on fusion.
Hailing the initiative, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “These major commitments set us well on course to a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run, while delivering thousands of good jobs in the short term.”
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright likewise said the framework would “strengthen US energy dominance and secure nuclear supply chains across the Atlantic.”
Nuclear power once provided a quarter of UK electricity but has declined to around 15%, with no new reactors built in decades and several ageing plants nearing closure.
The US, in contrast, has not been plagued with this problem, with nuclear power accounting for roughly 18% of its total electricity since the ’90s, due to construction of new reactors, timely retiring of old ones, and greater investment in nuclear power, as part of its pledge to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. (UNI )
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