Westinghouse and UK’s Community Nuclear Power Collaborate to Deploy Fleet of AP300™ Small Modular Reactors - Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse and UK’s Community Nuclear Power Collaborate to Deploy Fleet of AP300™ Small Modular Reactors
Agreement Marks First Step in Private Delivery of Advanced, Proven SMR Technology to the UK
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Feb. 8, 2023 – Westinghouse Electric Company today announced that it has signed an agreement with Community Nuclear Power, Ltd. (CNP) that puts it on track to deploy the U.K.’s first privately-financed small modular reactor fleet, with the Westinghouse AP300™ SMR. It is a significant step in making this new energy sector a reality with commercial operation expected by the early 2030s.
The agreement is to build four AP300 SMRs in the North Teesside region of Northeast England. The region is experiencing significant industrial and economic development, driving increasing demand for carbon-free, reliable electricity. CNP is also working with strategic partners, including Jacobs and Interpath Advisory, to develop a fully licensed site for the project, with a target of 2027. The project is being privately funded.
The project is in accordance with the recently published UK Government Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects consultation and complementary to and supportive of Westinghouse’s participation in Great British Nuclear’s (GBN) SMR technology selection process. This collaboration will further expand scale for workforce, training and supply chain localisation via multiple deployment projects.
“This project brings together Westinghouse’s proven technology and mature supply chain with our depth of expertise in nuclear programme delivery, in a region that is transforming its industrial landscape. We are delighted to be working with Westinghouse in support of private deployment in North Teesside,” said Paul Foster, Community Nuclear Power’s CEO.
“We want to thank Community Nuclear Power for this tremendous opportunity to deliver our advanced, proven AP300 SMR technology to the U.K. market,” said David Durham, Westinghouse President, Energy Systems. “Our AP300 SMR is ideally suited not just to support grid generation, but also for industrial sites for generating clean and secure energy and the ability to produce hydrogen, e-fuels, desalination and district heating.”
In May 2023, Westinghouse launched the AP300 small modular reactor, the only SMR based on an advanced, large Generation III+ reactor already in operation globally, the proven AP1000® technology. Unlike every other SMR under development with first-of-a-kind technologies and risks, Westinghouse’s AP300 SMR utilizes the AP1000 engineering, components, and supply chain, enabling streamlined licensing and leveraging available technical skills. Together, these factors provide confidence that the first operating unit will be available in the early 2030s. The advantageous economics of the AP300 SMR are based on robust analysis and existing project costs from AP1000 reactors already in operation or development on three continents. The AP300 SMR is already under consideration by customers in the U.K., Europe, and North America.
Header caption: The AP300™ Small Modular Reactor - the only SMR based on proven technology.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.