Sept. 15 (UPI) — The United States and Britain are to sign an agreement this week that is expected to boost London’s nuclear energy and place it on the pathway to a “golden age” of nuclear power.
Britain announced Sunday that the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy agreement will be signed during President Donald Trump‘s state visit to London starting Tuesday.
“This landmark U.K.-U.S. nuclear partnerships jot just about powering our homes, it’s about powering our economy, our communities and our ambition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.
“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.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the United States was “ushering in a true nuclear renaissance.”
“Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the U.S. and U.K., enhancing global energy security, strengthening U.S. energy dominance and securing nuclear supply chains across the Atlantic,” Wright said.
Few details of the agreement were made public, but Britain’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it comes with new deals to be signed between British and U.S. companies that will “turbocharge the build-out of new nuclear power stations in both countries.”
The department said the agreement will make it quicker for firms to build new nuclear power stations by reducing the time needed for a nuclear project to obtain a license by half, from roughly three or four years to two.
Among the commercial projects announced Sunday is a partnership between U.S. reactor maker X-energy and Britain’s Centrica to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, an eastern seaside port town south of Newcastle.
X-Energy said in a statement that the joint development agreement represents the first stage in a new trans-Atlantic alliance that is estimated to be valued at a minimum of $54 billion.
“Our partnership with X-energy marks a bold step forward in delivering advanced nuclear technology that is not only scalable and secure, but also vital to clean industry and powering homes,” said Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica.
Britain said the agreement builds on existing British and U.S. collaboration on nuclear projects, an April 2024 project between Rolls-Royce and the United States’ BWX Technologies.
“We welcome the commitment fo the U.S. and U.K. governments to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and secure an independent supply of advanced nuclear fuel,” Rolls-Royce said Sunday in a statement.
“Nuclear will play a critical role in the energy resilience and security of both nations.”
According to the Nuclear Industry Association, Britain has added 11,000 new jobs in the nuclear industry this year for a total of nearly 100,000 people employed in the sector.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said in a statement Monday following the announcement that government investments in nuclear have been driving an “industrial revival” in Britain.
“The next step is to build on this momentum: a clear pipeline of follow-up projects will lock in skills and investment, secure our energy future and drive prosperity across the U.K.,” Greatrex said.