UK and US unveil nuclear partnership to speed new reactors and create thousands of jobs

The United Kingdom and the United States announced a new bilateral agreement on advanced nuclear energy on Friday that aims to accelerate the construction of reactors, generate thousands of jobs and unlock billions of pounds of private investment.

Known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy, the programme is expected to be signed during US President Donald Trump’s state visit this week. Officials said it will streamline regulatory approvals in both countries, cutting the average licensing period for nuclear projects from as long as four years to around two, and is intended to make it quicker and cheaper for companies to build new plants.

The partnership is designed to deepen commercial ties between British and American firms and to support a wide range of projects, from advanced modular reactors to micro-reactors and fusion research. British and US ministers said a cluster of specific proposals would be announced alongside the deal, and government officials estimated the wider programme could be worth up to £40 billion.

A flagship proposal involves US company X-Energy and UK energy firm Centrica, which have outlined plans to build as many as 12 advanced modular reactors at Hartlepool in north-east England. The companies say the scheme could supply power for about 1.5 million homes and create up to 2,500 jobs. The partners and ministers said roughly £12 billion of the broader programme could be concentrated in the north-east.

Other announced collaborations include a joint project between Last Energy and port operator DP World to deploy a micro modular reactor at London Gateway, backed by about £80 million in private investment, and plans involving Holtec, EDF and Tritax to repurpose the former Cottam coal-fired site in Nottinghamshire into a nuclear-powered data centre hub. That Cottam project is estimated at roughly £11 billion and is expected to deliver large numbers of construction jobs as well as long-term operational roles.

The agreement also includes cooperation on fusion energy research and a commitment to end reliance on Russian-supplied nuclear material by 2028. Ministers framed the partnership as part of a broader push to enhance energy security and support the transition to low-carbon electricity.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the two countries were "building a golden age of nuclear" that would put them at the "forefront of global innovation." Britain’s Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: "Nuclear will power our homes with clean, homegrown energy and the private sector is building it in Britain, delivering growth and well-paid, skilled jobs for working people." In the United States, Energy Secretary Chris Wright described the move as a "nuclear renaissance," saying it would bolster energy security and help meet growing global power demand, particularly from data centres and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The announcement comes amid a renewed international focus on nuclear power as governments seek reliable, low-carbon sources of electricity. In the 1990s, nuclear supplied about a quarter of the UK’s electricity; that share has fallen to roughly 15 percent as older reactors have aged and no new large stations were built for decades. Several reactors are due to be retired over the coming decade unless replaced.

The UK has pursued a series of recent nuclear initiatives. In November 2024, it joined 30 other countries in a global pledge to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. Earlier this year it sealed a private-sector-backed deal to proceed with the Sizewell C power station in Suffolk, and the government has supported plans for small modular reactors to be built by a consortium led by Rolls-Royce.

Officials say the new Atlantic Partnership is intended to reduce the time and cost of deploying advanced nuclear technologies while attracting private capital and creating industrial clusters. Ministers argue that expanding homegrown nuclear capacity can lower household energy bills, strengthen energy independence and contribute to meeting climate targets.

The partnership’s immediate deliverables — regulatory reforms, the project pipeline and announced commercial investments — are set to be finalised around the state visit. Ministers on both sides emphasised that companies will still need to satisfy safety and environmental standards under the streamlined approval processes.