A Thames Valley Police officer from the Police pressure’s Specialist Search Unit, accompanied by police canine Jack, carries out safety searches outdoors of Windsor Castle in Windsor, on September 12, 2025, forward of the State Visit by US President Donald Trump.
Jordan Pettitt | Afp | Getty Images
The U.S. and U.Ok are anticipated to sign a flurry of major new offers throughout U.S. President Donald Trump‘s state visit to Britain this week, looking for to kickstart a “golden age” of nuclear power.
Some of the multi-billion-pound agreements set to be inked include plans by U.S. and U.Ok. firms to construct up to 12 superior new modular reactors in Hartlepool, a port city in northeast England, and a push to develop knowledge facilities powered by small modular reactors (SMRs) in Nottinghamshire.
The cross-Atlantic partnership is hoped to generate hundreds of jobs, pace up the method of constructing new nuclear power stations and unlock billions in personal funding.
U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday mentioned the 2 international locations have been “building a golden age of nuclear” that may put them “at the forefront of global innovation and investment.”
The deal announcement reaffirms each the U.S. and U.Ok.’s embrace of nuclear power, significantly when it comes to fueling the energy-intensive knowledge facilities wanted to prepare and run large synthetic intelligence instruments.
X-Energy, a U.S.-based firm aiming to develop high-tech nuclear vegetation, and British Gas proprietor Centrica mentioned the Hartlepool plans would generate sufficient power for up to 1.5 million houses and create up to 2,500 jobs.
The firms additionally estimate the general program might ship at the least £40 billion ($54.25 billion) in financial worth.
The Sizewell A and B nuclear power stations, operated by Electricite de France SA (EDF), in Sizewell, UK, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg through Getty Images
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
U.S.-based Holtec in the meantime mentioned plans to construct superior knowledge facilities powered by SMRs in Nottinghamshire can be value round £11 billion. The mission is about to be collectively developed by Holtec, EDF and Tritax.
SMRs promise to have smaller and lighter footprints than conventional power vegetation, doubtlessly making them cheaper and faster to construct when they’re totally commercialized.
Amazon and Google each signed offers final 12 months to develop SMRs within the U.S., as tech giants more and more flip to nuclear power to fulfill the rising vitality calls for of knowledge facilities.
‘A real nuclear renaissance’
Some of the opposite offers anticipated to be signed as a part of the settlement, often known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, embody plans to set up the world’s first micro modular nuclear power plant.
“With President Trump’s leadership, 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,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright mentioned on Monday.
As it’s low-carbon, advocates argue that nuclear power has the potential to play a major position in serving to international locations generate electrical energy whereas slashing emissions and lowering their reliance on fossil fuels.
Some environmental teams, nevertheless, warn that the nuclear trade is an costly and dangerous distraction from cheaper and cleaner alternate options.