The UK and US are poised to formalise the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy during President Donald Trump’s state visit this week. This agreement, described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as the start of a “golden age of nuclear,” seeks to put both nations at the forefront of global innovation in atomic energy.
The initiative is expected to accelerate the deployment of new nuclear stations, unlock billions of pounds in private investment, and reduce the licensing period for nuclear projects from up to four years to just two.
Key among the proposals is a £12bn project to build 12 advanced modular nuclear reactors in Hartlepool through a partnership between Centrica and the US-based X-Energy.
The scheme promises to supply clean electricity to 1.5 million homes and create up to 2,500 jobs in the north east of England. Hartlepool’s current station is due to be decommissioned in 2028, making the new modular reactors pivotal for local employment and energy output. The overall programme could be worth up to £40bn for the UK economy.
Chris O’Shea, chief executive of Centrica, told the BBC’s Today programme that this expansion will bring “very stable prices to UK consumers” and help households plan their energy usage more reliably.
The new job-creating reactors work on the same principle as larger nuclear plants but offer up to a third of the output, allowing them to be constructed off-site and assembled rapidly, similar to flat-pack power stations. Among other innovations are plans for a micro modular reactor at London Gateway port, with £80m in private investment involving firms such as Last Energy and DP World.
The partnership between the UK and US also involves multinational efforts- for example, repurposing the Cottam coal-fired plant in Nottinghamshire as a nuclear-powered data centre hub, a project worth £11bn and expected to generate thousands of jobs in construction and ongoing operations. The agreement further commits both countries to end their reliance on Russian nuclear material by 2028.
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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC that nuclear power will “deliver growth and well-paid, skilled jobs for working people,” with private enterprise taking the lead in Britain’s energy transformation. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright referred to the pact as a “nuclear renaissance,” highlighting its importance for supporting the energy demands of artificial intelligence and increasing data infrastructure.
In the 1990s, nuclear stations provided about 25% of Britain’s electricity, a figure now close to 15% due to ageing reactors and a lack of new plants in recent decades. With international pledges to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 and new projects like Sizewell C and Rolls Royce SMRs on the horizon, the partnership signals a renewed commitment to clean, reliable domestic energy.
This historic deal is set to reshape the UK’s energy landscape for decades to come, with the BBC confirming its transformative scope and significance during the ongoing state visit.
