The UK and US have announced a landmark partnership to accelerate the rollout of modular nuclear reactors in Britain, marking a major step in Labour’s plan for a new era of clean energy.
At the heart of the agreement, Britain’s energy supplier Centrica will work with US firm X-energy to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool. The £multi-billion project is expected to create around 2,500 jobs in the north-east of England while generating enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes. The reactors will replace Hartlepool’s existing nuclear plant, due to close in 2028, and could pave the way for a further nationwide programme of 20 or more units, providing up to 6GW of power — equal to the UK’s current total nuclear output.
The governments of both countries will also fast-track safety checks by recognising each other’s regulatory assessments. This move is set to nearly halve the approval time for new nuclear projects, cutting the licensing process to about two years. Officials said the streamlined system would strengthen energy security, reduce costs, and support Britain’s ambitions to eliminate reliance on Russian nuclear material by 2028.
Additional projects were also announced, including a £11bn plan led by Holtec, EDF Energy and Tritax to build small modular reactors powering advanced data centres in Nottinghamshire, and a partnership between Last Energy and DP World to establish one of the world’s first micro modular reactors at London Gateway port. Ministers said the expansion of nuclear energy would not only drive down household bills in the long term but also support the growth of energy-intensive industries such as AI and data processing.
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, as the deal is called, represents a new stage of UK-US collaboration, aiming to secure supply chains and create thousands of high-value jobs. Energy leaders hailed the announcement as a catalyst for the UK’s “nuclear revival” and a cornerstone of future clean power generation.