London: Britain and the United States will sign a landmark agreement this week to accelerate nuclear power development, the UK government announced, coinciding with US President Donald Trump’s state visit.
The deal, to be unveiled during Trump’s two-day trip starting Tuesday, will focus on boosting investment, cutting regulatory red tape, and fast-tracking projects aimed at strengthening long-term energy security.
The UK has intensified efforts in recent months to expand its nuclear sector, pledging £14 billion ($19 billion) to build a new plant at Sizewell C and supporting a Rolls-Royce-led program to deliver the nation’s first small modular reactors (SMRs).
Under the new US–UK pact, American reactor company X-Energy and Britain’s Centrica are expected to announce plans for up to 12 advanced modular reactors in northeast England.
The agreement is also set to trigger a wave of multi-billion-pound investments. US firm Holtec International, alongside France’s EDF and real estate group Tritax, will confirm an £11 billion ($15 billion) project to redevelop the former Cottam coal-fired power station in central England into advanced data centres powered by SMRs.
X-energy is proud to announce a landmark 6-gigawatt partnership with Centrica to deploy the U.K.’s first advanced nuclear fleet. Learn more about how we’re powering progress through this agreement: https://t.co/i0TNIZ4frc pic.twitter.com/wB8ot6cjqX
— X-energy (@xenergynuclear) September 14, 2025
“These major commitments set us well on course to a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. Trump and Starmer previously discussed closer nuclear cooperation at Trump’s golf resort in Scotland in July.
The partnership will also cover regulatory cooperation, ensuring that once a reactor passes safety checks in one country, the other can adopt the findings. This move is expected to cut licensing timelines to two years, down from the current three to four years.
“Today’s commercial deals set up a framework to unleash commercial access in both the US and UK,” said US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
In a related move, Rolls-Royce confirmed it has entered the US regulatory process for its SMR, opening the door to new investment and job creation across the Atlantic. Separately, UK-based Urenco will announce a supply deal to provide advanced low-enriched uranium fuel to the US market.
The UK government described the US–UK nuclear tie-up as a framework for enduring cooperation that will drive energy transition, attract long-term investment, and position both countries at the forefront of the next nuclear era.
