US investor targets Britain’s ‘nuclear triangle’ for mini-nuke

A US maker of small modular reactors (SMRS) is targeting the “nuclear triangle” in the North of England for a site that will build and export mini-nukes.

Holtec is leading a consortium of investors that includes South Korea’s Hyundai planning to build two SMRS a year from the early 2030s.

Andy Storer, the chief executive of the UK’S Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, said the “nuclear triangle” between Warrington, Derby and Sheffield was a likely site for any new factory because the region already had companies and workforces with the engineering skills needed to build nuclear reactors. Up to 16 would be installed around the UK with others exported to European neighbours.

Mr Storer said: “We’ve just created a nuclear skills academy in Derby, where Rolls-royce also has manufacturing capability. We have Forgemasters in Sheffield, which can forge key nuclear components, and we have our own nuclear design centre in Warrington. So this UK region is a likely favourite, whichever SMR designs are chosen.”

Dame Julia King, a leading UK engineer who has become a paid adviser to Holtec, added: “In the next 10 days, we will be inviting regional authorities around the UK to submit proposals for hosting a nuclear reactor factory.”

SMRS are designed to be built in factories using production line techniques, and then assembled on site, reducing costs and construction times.

Dame Julia, who is also chairman of the Lords’ science and technology committee, said SMRS could prove essential to the UK target for net zero. She added: “The UK wants to ramp up its nuclear capacity from six gigawatts today [enough for about 8m homes] to 24 gigawatts by mid-century so our electricity system has to more than double in size. But our conventional nuclear programme is seeing real challenges with cost increases and delays. So it’s clear we need a different approach, focusing on small modular reactors.”

However, it emerged yesterday that the UK’S SMR design competition has been delayed. When six companies were shortlisted in October, ministers said they aimed to announce which projects would get public support by the spring and award contracts by summer.

But new Budget documents show that the Government has only set a deadline of June for companies to send in their final bids. A nuclear industry source said the delay was expected but warned it was now “imperative they get this sorted pre-election”.