By rosebell
With the aim of building 12 advanced modular reactors in the UK, British energy supplier Centrica has announced it is going to pair up with US reactor company X-energy.
As the preferred first site for the development of the Xe-100 reactors, these companies have identified EDF and Centrica’s Hartlepool site, that would be developed adjacent to Hartlepool’s existing nuclear power station which is currently scheduled to be decommissioned in 2028.
While the provider of initial project capital for development with the goal of initiating full-scale activities in 2026 will be Centricam, subject to regulatory approval, the first electricity generation would be expected in the mid-2030s.
In order to establishing a UK-based development company to develop this first and subsequent projects, Centrica and X-energy are already in discussions with additional potential equity partners, as well as global engineering and construction companies.
The country’s first small modular reactor is constructing in Canada, Ontario Power Generation and the TBM that is due to excavate a 3.4km-long condenser cooling water tunnel was delivered in August.
