UK and US agree deal to speed up building of nuclear plants

The UK and US have agreed a deal to boost the building of nuclear plants in both countries to be signed during Donald Trump’s state visit this week.

Downing Street said the week would see a “step change” in the UK-US relationship as Sir Keir and Mr Trump are expected to also sign a tech partnership and deepen cultural ties.

The “unbreakable friendship” is set to “reach new heights” during the state visit, No 10 said.

The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy is expected to be signed during the president’s visit and will enable deals between US and UK companies.

This should make it quicker for companies to build nuclear power stations by cutting red tape and workloads to speed up the time for projects to get a licence from around three or four years to roughly two.

This will clear the way for a major expansion of nuclear projects in Britain as part of the Government’s drive to produce clean energy.

Sir Keir 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.”

Under the civil nuclear deal, both countries will fast-track reactor design checks.

This will mean that if rigorous safety checks have been passed in one country, that can be used to speed up assessment in the other.

This aims to speed up approvals for nuclear to around two years for advanced designs like the Rolls-Royce small modular reactor.

The two countries will also share the workload of site licensing for new projects to get them approved more quickly.

Commercial deals set to be announced this week include:

– X-Energy and Centrica plan to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, which is expected to generate power for up to 1.5 million homes and created up to 2,500 jobs

– Holtec, EDF and Tritax plan to develop advanced data centres at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. They will be powered by small modular reactors

– Last Energy and DP World plan to set up a micro-modular nuclear power plant backed by £80 million in private investment, which will provide a clean power supply for the expansion of DP World’s London Gateway port

– Urenco and Radiant are signing a deal worth 4 million dollars to supply advanced HALEU fuel to the US market

– TerraPower and KBR plan to conduct studies and evaluate sites in the UK for Natrium advanced reactor technology

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the special relationship between the UK and US has become one of the “most enduring alliances in modern history”.

“Our special relationship has evolved into one of the most enduring alliances in modern history, rooted in shared values, friendship, mutual trust and a belief in the rule of law, democracy and open markets, and that unbreakable friendship will reach new heights at the state visit this week,” he said.

The two nations already have more than £1.2 trillion invested in each other’s economies, he noted.

“And this week, we are delivering a step change in that relationship with leaders expected to sign a world-leading tech partnership that will genuinely change the lives of British and American people, and we will go further in powering Britain and delivering energy security with a major civil nuclear deal.

“We will deepen our cultural ties too, ensuring grassroots American sport such as basketball is accessible in communities across the UK, and we will develop partnerships between some of our finest heritage and art institutions to ensure our shared history is part of our future too.”

Andrew Bowie, shadow minister of state for energy, said: “All these announcements are simply building on the strong legacy left by the previous Conservative government who kick-started the nuclear revolution in the UK. However we would have gone bigger and quicker.”

Sam Richards, CEO of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: “If the new ‘golden age’ for nuclear power is to mean anything, we need to slash the time it takes to get reactors from the drawing board to spades in the ground so that Britain’s industrial heartlands can once again thrive.”