LONDON: Britain and the United States will sign a deal to boost cooperation on nuclear power during U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit this week, the British government said, as London seeks investment to fund new plants.
The agreement comes as Britain accelerates its nuclear expansion plans, pledging £14 billion (US$19 billion) for a new plant at Sizewell C and advancing a partnership with Rolls-Royce to deliver the country’s first small modular reactors (SMRs).
Trump will arrive in Britain on Tuesday for a two-day visit, during which he and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce the nuclear tie-up. The deal is expected to speed up projects and investments, including a collaboration between U.S. nuclear reactor company X-Energy and Britain’s Centrica to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in northeast England.
An £11 billion (US$15 billion) project is also expected to be unveiled, involving U.S. firm Holtec International, France’s EDF, and real estate partner Tritax to develop advanced data centres powered by SMRs at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in central England.
“These major commitments set us well on course to a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run,” Starmer said on Monday.
The pact will also cover nuclear regulation, enabling safety approvals from one country to be recognised in the other. The move is expected to cut licensing times to two years, compared with the current three to four years.
“Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the U.S. and UK,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Centrica Group CEO Chris O’Shea said its partnership with X-Energy would help build a “resilient, affordable, low-carbon energy system,” while X-Energy CEO J. Clay Sell said Hartlepool was the right location to scale its technology in Britain.
Holtec chair and CEO Kris Singh said its joint project with EDF would create thousands of local jobs, while EDF UK CEO Simone Rossi said the plan would benefit the country’s energy security.
Rolls-Royce also said it has entered the U.S. regulatory process for its SMR technology, paving the way for potential investment and job creation in the United States.
In a related announcement, Urenco, a UK-based nuclear fuel supplier, is expected to sign a deal to provide advanced low-enriched uranium to the U.S. market.
Source: Reuters
