Negotiations begin for UK鈥檚 small modular reactor programme
Great British Nuclear (GBN) has today started detailed negotiations with the final four shortlisted bidders into the UK鈥檚 Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme.
The four companies, GE Hitachi, Holtec, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse, have been shortlisted following two rounds of assessment by GBN, the government鈥檚 expert nuclear delivery body.
GBN will negotiate with all four before final tenders are submitted, with final decisions to be taken in the spring.
To reach this stage, each of the four designs was subject to a robust聽analysis. GBN has evaluated each technology, including aspects such as聽safety, deliverability, and their ability to support development of a fleet of SMRs.聽GBN聽considers the designs, each of which is proceeding through the UK鈥檚 regulatory process, are viable options for development.聽Subject to negotiations, GBN consider any one of these designs would be fit to use in the UK nuclear programme. 聽聽 聽
GBN鈥檚 Chair, Simon Bowen said, 鈥楾his is a significant moment for the SMR programme.聽Our technical experts have assessed each design in detail and are very confident these聽SMRs could play a key role in the UK鈥檚 future energy mix.聽The negotiation phase will enable us to select the absolute best technologies on the best terms for the UK.鈥�