Raft of US-UK nuclear deals signed while US President Trump on UK state visit

A new Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy agreement was signed during US President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK last week. Under the deal, both countries will fast-track reactor design checks, meaning if a reactor has already passed rigorous safety checks in one country, this work can be used by the other to support its assessment, avoiding duplicating work.  

‘This builds on collaboration between regulators for the ongoing UK assessments of GE-Vernova and Holtec reactor designs,’ said a UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) statement. It added that the ‘smarter streamlined approach’ is expected to speed up the time it takes for a nuclear project to get a licence, from about three or four years to around two years for advanced designs like the Rolls-Royce SMR.  

The announcement came as Rolls-Royce SMR announced that it has entered the US regulatory process for its SMR design. The UK company submitted an engagement plan with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in April this year. In the UK, the Rolls-Royce SMR design has already passed through two stages of mandatory assessment and entered the third and final stage in July 2024, a process that was expected to end in December 2026.

The partnership agreement also extends to fusion energy through coordinated experimental programmes where British and American expertise will combine with AI technology to develop advanced simulation tools, whilst test facilities will fast-track progress towards commercial fusion power. A Global Fusion Energy Policy Summit will be co-hosted in the US in 2026, to strengthen international cooperation on fusion energy, noted DESNZ.

Commercial deals

A number of US-UK commercial nuclear deals were also signed last week. These included:

• X-Energy and Centrica signed a joint development agreement (JDA) to build up to 12 Xe0-100 AMRs at a site adjacent to the existing nuclear power station in Hartlepool, which is currently scheduled to cease generating electricity in 2028. The companies also plan a follow-on UK wide programme targeting 6 GW of nuclear power. The Hartlepool project will be capable of generating up 960 MW.
• Holtec, EDF and real estate management company Tritax plan to develop data centres powered by Holtec’s SMR-300 units at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. Holtec estimates the project value to be around £11bn.
• Last Energy and DP World signed a deal to establish one of the world’s first micro modular nuclear power plants, backed by £80mn in private investment. Aiming to begin operations in 2030, the proposed PWR-20 microreactor would provide clean power for the expansion of DP World’s London Gateway port and business park.
• Urenco and Radiant plan to supply advanced reactor HALEU fuel to the US market under a deal valued around £4mn. Urenco is building an advanced fuels facility in the UK, co-funded with the UK government, and is exploring building a similar facility in the US.
• TerraPower and KBR plan to conduct studies and evaluate sites in the UK for the deployment of Natrium advanced reactor technology. Each Natrium reactor is expected to be paired with gigawatt-scale energy storage.

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

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. Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the US and UK, enhancing global energy security, strengthening US energy dominance, and securing nuclear supply chains across the Atlantic.’

Wider nuclear collaboration

Meanwhile, at a press conference arranged for the Roadmaps to New Nuclear Conference in Paris on 18 September, Director-General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) William D Magwood IV was asked to comment on the bilateral US-UK agreement to mutually recognise each others’ reactor design checks.  

He said: ‘Obviously one of the things we have spent a lot of time on in recent decades has been looking for the opportunity to have more international cooperation when it comes to licensing new technologies. Nuclear regulators work together quite frequently on nuclear safety and regulatory issues. There have been a great deal of exchanges of ideas and cooperation, much of which is fostered by the NEA. But when it comes to licensing new technologies, it has been very, very slow in coming. The US, in particular, has made real efforts to work with countries like Canada and the UK to promote bilateral exchanges.’

He continued: ‘The discussion with Europe is the next step in that progress. Particularly [this deal] if it proves to be entirely successful, it could be a real breakthrough; not just a small improvement but a massive improvement. But there’s still a lot of work ahead; it’s still very early, but I think the fact that this is happening is extraordinarily positive.’

Magwood served as a Commissioner at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 2010 to 2014.

The proposed US-UK nuclear regulation collaboration with a focus on SMRs is not the only one. In a ceremony in Vienna last week, a consortium developing an SMR fast reactor signed an arrangement with the nuclear regulators of Belgium (FANC), Italy (ISIN) and Romania (CNCAN), officially kicking off an international pre-licensing initiative for the EAGLES-300 reactor. It is the first pilot project under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI).

Developer Ansaldo Energia said: ‘Never before have national regulators collaborated so early in the development process of an advanced small modular reactor. By aligning safety standards and regulatory expectations early, while fully respecting national responsibilities, the EAGLES pre-licensing project aims to reduce duplication, clarify requirements and accelerate the safe worldwide deployment of advanced SMRs.’

The EAGLES Consortium, which in addition to Ansaldo Nucleare also includes ENEA, RATEN-ICN, and SCK CEN, said: ‘With our two key test facilities, LEANDREA and ALFRED, we will work step by step towards the commercialisation of the EAGLES-300 in 2039 and its broad rollout. Taking this pre-licensing step now is therefore a crucial milestone on the road towards commercialisation.’

Surge in new nuclear jobs in the UK

Back in the UK, the commercial nuclear contracts signed last week could provide many new job opportunities in a sector that has already seen 11,000 new jobs this year following government-led investment in Sizewell C and Rolls-Royce SMR, according to the latest statistics from the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA). Some 98,173 people are reported to be currently employed across the sector.

Hinkley Point C, Europe’s biggest clean energy project, has tripled south-west England’s nuclear workforce – from 8,200 in 2015 to over 31,000 today – making it the country’s largest nuclear hub, says the report. The project has also brought £5.3bn of investment into the region, with the benefits soon to be replicated by Sizewell C in Suffolk, which will support 70,000 jobs across the country, according to the NIA.

Decommissioning also continues to generate work, says the study, of which the centre is the 12,000 employees at Sellafield in Cumbria, as well as wider work in the fuel cycle, reactor design and research.

In Wales, where a decision has yet to be made on the future of the Wylfa nuclear site, the nuclear workforce stands at close to 1,000 jobs, up 17% on last year thanks largely to new business driven by Sizewell C, but numbers are down a third versus a decade ago, notes the NIA. In Scotland, the sector grew slightly to 5,413 jobs, representing the smallest regional growth (5%) due to a lack of new projects.

Commenting on the latest figures, Tom Greatrex, NIA Chief Executive, said: ‘Record government investment in nuclear is driving an industrial revival, creating thousands of long-term, high-value jobs and boosting the UK’s energy security.’

IEA revises up nuclear power expansion forecasts

In related news, for the fifth year in a row the IAEA has revised up its projections for the expansion of nuclear power. In the high case projection, the IAEA estimates that global nuclear operational capacity will more than double by 2050 – reaching 2.6 times the 2024 level – with SMRs expected to play a pivotal role in this expansion.

At the end of 2024, 417 nuclear power reactors were operational, with a global capacity of 377 gigawatts electric (GW(e)). In the high case projection, nuclear electrical generating capacity is projected to increase to 992 GW(e) by 2050. In the low case projection, capacity rises 50% to 561 GW(e), compared with 2024. SMRs are projected to account for 24% of the new capacity added in the high case and for 5% in the low case.