UK and US to commit to boosting nuclear power capacity

Companies from the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.) have signed “major” new deals that are expected to supercharge the expansion of nuclear power stations in both countries.

As disclosed by the UK government, the deals between the two nations have been enabled by a new agreement—to be known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy—that is planned to be signed at the state visit this week.

The initiative, which is set to benefit numerous industries, including the maritime sector, could reportedly pave the way for a major development of new nuclear projects in the UK as well as the U.S. by means of accelerating the time needed for a project to obtain a license from roughly three or four years to around two.

Among the deals that are to be announced this week are the following:

• The UAE-based logistics and maritime transport heavyweight DP World and American commercial developer of micro-modular nuclear power plant Last Energy plan to set up one of the ‘world’s first’ micro-modular nuclear power plants—backed by £80 million (circa $109 million) in private investment—to unlock a