UK selects six SMR technologies to advance in competition
Power Engineering International
Posted on: 3 October 2023
The companies include; EDF| GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy| Holtec Britain| NuScale Power| Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK.
The UK's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has selected six companies' nuclear reactor technologies to progress to the next round of the government's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition.
The companies include EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy (BWRX-300), Holtec Britain Limited (SMR-160), NuScale Power (VOYGR SMR), Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited (AP300 SMR).
The SMR competition is part of the UK government’s plan to revive nuclear power, develop new and innovative technologies and ultimately increase energy security.
The competition will also support the government’s goal of achieving up to a quarter of all UK electricity to come from nuclear power by 2050.
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The designs chosen are considered by the government as most able to achieve final investment decision in 2029 and deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s.
The next stage of the process will be launched as soon as possible where successful companies will be able to bid for government contracts.
The ambition is to announce in Spring 2024 which of the six companies the government will support, with contracts awarded by Summer 2024.
The government is set to consult later in the year on how best to ensure other nuclear technologies can potentially get underway in the UK – and this could include some of the SMR technologies that were not selected through this process.
