Britain will speed up the approval process for nuclear reactors

The UK plans to speed up the approval process for nuclear reactors. Currently, assessing a new design takes three to four years, and the government wants to cut this timeframe to roughly two years.

The country plans to quadruple its nuclear power capacity to 24 gigawatts by 2050. A 2025 agreement between the UK and the US allows regulators to rely on assessments already carried out by one another, avoiding duplication and speeding up the process.

Several American companies are interested in the new rules. Among them is Holtec, which, together with EDF and Tritax, is considering building up to four small reactors at Cottam. Their combined capacity would be approximately 1.3 gigawatts.

X-energy and Centrica, meanwhile, are working on projects with capacity of up to 6 gigawatts. They want to build the first plant at Hartlepool.

Electricity demand in the UK is expected to grow by about 40% by 2035. The government views nuclear energy as one of the key sources for meeting this demand.

Source: Reuters