UK, US partner to deploy advanced modular reactors, boost nuclear power

The UK and the US announced a string of nuclear power deals Sept. 15 to accelerate the build-out of new capacity in both countries.

The agreements -- to be signed during US President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK this week -- would enable the rollout of advanced modular reactors at several locations across the UK, including ones designed to power new data centers.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the deals as the start of a "golden age of nuclear."

Already this year, the UK government has taken a long-awaited final investment decision on the 3.2-GW Sizewell C nuclear plant and selected Rolls-Royce SMR to provide technology for a fleet of small modular reactors by the mid-2030s.

"This landmark UK-US nuclear partnership is not just about powering our homes, it's about powering our economy, our communities and our ambition," Starmer said in a statement. "Together with the US, we're building a golden age of nuclear that puts both countries at the forefront of global innovation and investment."

Among the deals announced Sept. 15 is an agreement between British utility Centrica and US-based X-Energy to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in northeast England using X-Energy's Xe-100 technology.

The companies have identified the Hartlepool nuclear plant as the preferred first site for a planned fleet of up to 6 GW.

The initial 12 Xe-100 units could add up to 960 MW of new capacity at Hartlepool, which is scheduled to close in 2028.

In a separate deal, US developer Holtec International, nuclear operator EDF Energy and real estate company Tritax Management unveiled plans to develop SMRs at a disused coal-fired power plant in Nottinghamshire, England.

Electricity from the facility, which will be composed of a number of 300-MW Holtec SMR-300s, will be used to power data centers on site, the companies said.

"With President Trump's leadership, the United States is ushering in a true nuclear renaissance — harnessing the power of commercial nuclear to meet rising energy demand and fuel the AI revolution," US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.

The agreement between the UK and US governments will accelerate the time it takes to license nuclear projects in both countries, according to the UK Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero.

If a reactor has already passed safety checks in the UK, for example, this work can be used by the US to support its assessment, avoiding duplicating work and speeding up the permitting process to about two years from about three or four years, the UK government said.

Among other announcements, US-based Last Energy and logistics giant DP World plan to establish one of the world's first "micro" modular nuclear plants at the latter's London Gateway port and business park.

Britain's Urenco and US-based Radiant Logistics also signed a deal to supply advanced fuels to the US market.

Finally, TerraPower and KBR plan to conduct studies and evaluate sites in the UK for the deployment of TerraPower's Natrium advanced reactor technology.