agreement on vast nuclear energy project: Key aspects and objectives
The UK and US have signed a significant deal, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a multibillion-pound agreement to expand nuclear power across both nations. This partnership, known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, aims to speed up the construction of new reactors and provide low-carbon energy for high-demand sectors.
The UK currently generates about 15 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy, a figure that has decreased from over 25 percent at its peak in the mid-1990s. The country has eight nuclear power stations, all managed by EDF Energy, with five of these stations currently generating electricity. Notably, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool, originally scheduled to enter defuelling in March 2026, have been granted a one-year life extension. Meanwhile, Heysham 2 and Torness have been granted a two-year extension, allowing these plants to continue generating electricity temporarily.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the demand for nuclear power in the US is expected to grow from 100GWe to 400GWe by 2050. To cater to this growing demand, US nuclear technology company Holtec, France's EDF Energy, and UK real estate firm Tritax will develop advanced data centres powered by small modular reactors (SMRs) in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands. This project, valued at about 11 billion pounds ($15bn), is set to revolutionise the energy sector, making nuclear power more accessible and useful for things beyond electricity.
SMRs and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) are designed to be quicker, cheaper, and less risky to build due to factory-built equipment. Unlike Generation III SMRs, which use water for cooling, like conventional plants, Generation IV and AMRs use new cooling methods or fuels, potentially making them cheaper, more flexible, and useful for a wider range of applications.
The global demand for advanced nuclear technologies is expected to grow sharply by 2050. China, for instance, is efficient at building reactors, often in five to six years, due to standardised designs, strong government support, and large-scale construction programs. However, the global average for building a nuclear reactor is about seven years.
The UK's nuclear sector has already created 11,000 new jobs this year following government-led investment. Centrica, a British energy supplier, will partner with the U.S. firm X-energy to develop up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, England, which could power 1.5 million homes and create up to 2,500 jobs.
This partnership between the UK and US marks a significant step forward in the global push towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. By embracing advanced nuclear technologies, both countries aim to meet their growing energy demands while reducing carbon emissions and contributing to the fight against climate change.
