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Released September 22, 2025 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The U.K. and U.S. are teaming up to rapidly advance the rollout of mini nuclear power technology by agreeing to fast-track the approvals process and by backing it up with a raft of project deals between companies in both countries.
The wide-ranging Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, announced in advance of President Donald Trump's U.K. visit, aims to make it quicker for companies to build new nuclear power stations in both countries by speeding up the time it takes for a nuclear project to get a licence from roughly three to four years today to two years. Reinforcing the announcement is a deal between U.K. gas company Centrica plc (Windsor, England) and U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) firm X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC (Rockville, Maryland) to build 12 reactors in Hartlepool, England. The site sits adjacent to one of the U.K.'s few remaining nuclear plants using Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs), and is due to be decommissioned in 2028. It will use Xe-100 High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) which would add up to 960 megawatts (MW) of new capacity, enough to power 1.5 million homes. If successful, the companies claimed that they would like to add up to 6 gigawatts (GW) of new SMR capacity in the future.
U.K. 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. Together with the U.S., we're building a golden age of nuclear that puts both countries at the forefront of global innovation and investment." This year the U.K. nuclear sector saw 11,000 new jobs created in 2025 according to statistics from the Nuclear Industry Association. The Labour-led government has championed nuclear power since it was elected last year and in June, committed to spending £14.2 billion (US$19 billion) to build its next nuclear power plant, Sizewell C in Suffolk, England. It will boast two European Pressurized Reactor-2 (EPR2) reactors from Electricité de France that will produce 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of around 6 million homes. It is identical to the Hinkley Point C plant currently under construction by EDF in Somerset. For additional information, see June 16, 2025, article - U.K. Commits $19 Billion to New Nuclear Plant.
Other deals announced to mark the new alliance include a plan by EDF, Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) and real-estate specialist Tritax (London, England) to develop data centres powered by SMRs at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, owned by EDF.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: "These deals are hugely welcome and build on a summer of record government investment in nuclear which is driving an industrial revival, creating thousands of high-value jobs, and strengthening the U.K. 's energy security. New projects with our U.S. partners build on Sizewell C and the SMR programme, showing the power of government and industry working together."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The wide-ranging Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, announced in advance of President Donald Trump's U.K. visit, aims to make it quicker for companies to build new nuclear power stations in both countries by speeding up the time it takes for a nuclear project to get a licence from roughly three to four years today to two years. Reinforcing the announcement is a deal between U.K. gas company Centrica plc (Windsor, England) and U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) firm X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC (Rockville, Maryland) to build 12 reactors in Hartlepool, England. The site sits adjacent to one of the U.K.'s few remaining nuclear plants using Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs), and is due to be decommissioned in 2028. It will use Xe-100 High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) which would add up to 960 megawatts (MW) of new capacity, enough to power 1.5 million homes. If successful, the companies claimed that they would like to add up to 6 gigawatts (GW) of new SMR capacity in the future.
U.K. 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. Together with the U.S., we're building a golden age of nuclear that puts both countries at the forefront of global innovation and investment." This year the U.K. nuclear sector saw 11,000 new jobs created in 2025 according to statistics from the Nuclear Industry Association. The Labour-led government has championed nuclear power since it was elected last year and in June, committed to spending £14.2 billion (US$19 billion) to build its next nuclear power plant, Sizewell C in Suffolk, England. It will boast two European Pressurized Reactor-2 (EPR2) reactors from Electricité de France that will produce 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of around 6 million homes. It is identical to the Hinkley Point C plant currently under construction by EDF in Somerset. For additional information, see June 16, 2025, article - U.K. Commits $19 Billion to New Nuclear Plant.
Other deals announced to mark the new alliance include a plan by EDF, Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) and real-estate specialist Tritax (London, England) to develop data centres powered by SMRs at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, owned by EDF.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: "These deals are hugely welcome and build on a summer of record government investment in nuclear which is driving an industrial revival, creating thousands of high-value jobs, and strengthening the U.K. 's energy security. New projects with our U.S. partners build on Sizewell C and the SMR programme, showing the power of government and industry working together."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
