The U.K. and U.S. Have Big Plans for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

As U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer meet on the president’s second official visit to Britain this term, nuclear power is one of the energy topics expected to be addressed. Both countries are pursuing a new era of nuclear power, after several decades of stagnation, investing in research and development into innovative new nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMR). Following the meeting, greater collaboration is expected in SMR development to accelerate the commercial rollout of smaller-scale nuclear projects in both countries.

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of around 300 MW(e) per unit, equivalent to around one-third the generating capacity of traditional nuclear reactors. SMRs are much smaller than conventional reactors and are modular, making it simpler for them to be assembled in factories and transported to site. Thanks to their smaller size, SMRs can be developed on sites that are not suitable for bigger reactors. They are also significantly cheaper and faster to build than conventional nuclear reactors, as they can be constructed incrementally to meet the growing energy demand of a site.

In July, when meeting with President Trump on his golf course in Scotland, British Prime Minister Starmer said the U.K. would benefit from working more closely with the United States on SMR technology. “The more we can work together on this, the better,” Starmer said. Trump responded by saying his government would explore the opportunity for smaller nuclear plants. “We’re doing smaller and bigger, but the small is interesting,” he told reporters at the time. Trump appeared interested in the lower costs associated with SMR development compared to those of conventional nuclear plants.

During his second official state visit to the U.K., Trump is expected to sign a sweeping nuclear power agreement with Starmer, known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, to accelerate the development of the clean energy source. The deal focuses on streamlining licensing and regulatory approvals, accelerating the deployment of advanced reactors, and unlocking billions in private-sector investment across both the U.S. and the U.K.

Several other U.K. nuclear power projects have also been announced that are expected to align with the new partnership. These include the X-Energy and Centrica plan to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, northeast England, to power 1.5 million homes; Holtec International, EDF, and Tritax’s plan to repurpose the former Cottam coal-fired plant in Nottinghamshire into a nuclear-powered data centre hub using SMR technology; Rolls-Royce’s anticipated entrance into the U.S. SMR market; Urenco’s supply of an advanced type of low-enriched uranium to the U.S. market; and Last Energy and DP World’s backing for micro modular reactor development at the London Gateway port.

Plans for the two powers to fast-track safety checks align with recent moves by President Trump to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power in the U.S., aiming to deploy 300 GW of net new nuclear capacity by 2050 to quadruple domestic nuclear power. In May, Trump signed three executive orders to support these aims: Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Deployment of Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security; and Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy. However, there are fears that Trump may weaken the powers or even scrap the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which assesses projects for health and safety and ensures reactors operate securely, as part of his acceleration plans.

In the U.K., in June, the government chose Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy (GBN) – Nuclear to develop SMRs, subject to final government approvals. The government plans to invest $3.4 billion for the overall small modular reactor programme to power 3 million homes and support around 3,000 new jobs.

In January, the chair of the board of the Rolls-Royce-led consortium developing SMRs, Stephen Lovegrove, said that Rolls-Royce was around 18 months ahead of the competition in developing SMR technology. GBN was originally expected to approve the development of its first SMR by 2029 before it changed the deadline to 2031 and then to 2032 or 2033. Rolls-Royce said at the time the delays had held them back, but it hoped to develop its first 470-MW SMR in the U.K. before expanding to other markets.

Despite heavy investment in recent years, many companies continue to struggle to get SMR technology off the ground due to a range of constraints, such as strict nuclear power regulations and limited access to the enriched uranium needed to power the reactors. According to the Nuclear Energy Agency, 74 SMR designs are currently being developed worldwide, supported by around $15 billion in public and private funding, with 51 in the pre-licensing or licensing period with nuclear safety regulators in 15 countries. However, only two commercial SMRs are currently operational worldwide. While several more SMRs are expected to become operational over the next decade, progress remains slow, although a deal between the U.K. and U.S. could signal a new wave of SMR development.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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