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The UK has announced the six companies advancing to the next round of a competition to develop small modular reactors (SMRs).
As part of its plans to expand its nuclear capacity, the UK has announced that designs entered by six companies will advance to the next round in a government competition looking to develop small module reactors (SMRs).
The successful companies will soon be able to bid for government contracts, and the final decision regarding financial support will be announced in spring 2024. The timetable aims to be the fastest of its kind in the world, with the contracts set to be awarded by the summer of that year.
The competition represents part of a renewed national push towards nuclear energy, with the government aiming to generate up to a quarter of all electricity in the UK from nuclear power and to achieve net zero by 2050.
The finalists are Electricite de France (EDF), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International, Rolls Royce SMR, Holtec Britain, Nuscale Power and Westinghouse Electric Company UK. Judged by the UK government and the government-backed Great British Nuclear delivery body, the selected designs have been deemed able to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s.
Gwen Parry-Jones, CEO of Great British Nuclear, said in a statement: “Today’s announcement is a key step forward in delivering the government’s objective of boosting nuclear power in this country. Our priority in this process has been to prioritise reliable and sustainable power to the grid early, and that’s why we have focused our first step on the technologies that we viewed as most likely to meet the objective of a final investment decision in 2029.
“These companies will now be able to prepare for the next stages of the competition, aiming for a final contract agreement in the summer, potentially benefiting from significant support from the public purse.” |
