US and UK to jointly ‘turbocharge’ nuclear development

UK and US companies have signed several deals aimed at developing the UK’s nuclear power capacity and improving its energy self-sufficiency, as the two countries’ governments are set to agree on harmonised permitting rules.

During US President Trump’s UK visit this week, the two governments will sign a new agreement to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power stations in both countries, by reducing the time it takes for a nuclear project to get a licence from around three or four years to roughly two.

Based on this, UK and US companies have announced a number of deals to ramp up nuclear energy production. Among these, X-Energy and Centrica plan to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, generating enough power for up to 1.5 million homes and creating up to 2,500 good jobs.

Nuclear plants, data centres, HALEU fuel 

Holtec, EDF and Tritax have agreed to develop advanced data centres powered by small modular reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire – a project worth around £11 billion, and expected to create thousands of high-skilled construction jobs, as well as long-term roles in operations.

Last Energy and DP World will work together to establish a micro modular nuclear power plant backed by £80 million in private investment, to unlock a clean power supply for the expansion of DP World’s London Gateway port and business park.

Urenco and Radiant have signed a deal worth around £4 million to supply high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel – which helps nuclear reactors achieve a smaller design – to the US market. 

Finally, TerraPower and KBR will conduct studies and evaluate sites in the UK for the deployment of the Natrium advanced reactor technology, with each Natrium reactor supporting around 1,600 construction jobs and 250 permanent jobs.

The ‘golden age’ of nuclear

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This landmark UK-US nuclear partnership is not just about powering our homes, it’s about powering our economy, our communities, and our ambition. 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 Secretary of Energy Chris Wright added: “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. Meeting this demand will require strong partnerships with our allies around the world and robust collaboration with private sector innovators.”