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Mini reactors Can UK-US deal create a nuclear 'golden age'?
The Guardian
|September 16, 2025
Britain is on the brink of a "golden age of nuclear", according to Keir Starmer, who has announced a multibillion-pound US-UK partnership to build a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs).
The agreement, likely to be signed during Donald Trump's state visit this week, involves speeding up safety checks to bring new reactors online faster.
Starmer is far from the first prime minister to nail his colours to the nuclear mast. So what's different this time and how will it work?
What has been announced?
Five new deals, adding to an existing SMR partnership between Rolls-Royce and the Virginia-based BWXT. According to the US embassy, the deals are worth a combined $100bn (£73.6bn).
The most eye-catching project involves the US company X-energy working with Centrica, the owner of British Gas, to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors (AMRs) in Hartlepool. AMRs, part of a group of reactor designs known as Generation IV, use cutting-edge cooling systems and fuel. The government claims the Hartlepool project could power 1.5m homes, create up to 2,500 jobs and deliver a £40bn economic boost, including £12bn for the northeast.
What are the other projects?
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