UK gives OK to Westinghouse AP300 SMR

The United Kingdom's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero have signed off on Westinghouse's AP300 small modular reactor earlier this month.

The approval is the first step in the generic design assessment (GDA) licensing process to bring new nuclear technology to the nation. It's part of the larger Great British Nuclear program, launched in 2023, to support the U.K.'s goal of expanding nuclear energy capacity to 24 gigawatts by 2050-which would be the nation's largest expansion of nuclear in 70 years.

The U.K. government outlined the planned buildout in its Civil Nuclear Roadmap. The report, which was released in January, lays out goals and actions for building nuclear capacity, including the need to double its 64,500 workers in the industry over the next 20 years.

Quotable: "The U.K.'s familiarity with the AP300's underpinning technology and our strong track record of licensing success in the U.K. and globally give us confidence that we will move through the GDA process at pace," said Dan Lipman, president of Westinghouse Energy Systems, in a press release.

A closer look: Westinghouse's AP300 SMR was previously selected for the current phase of Great British Nuclear in October 2023. Community Nuclear Power Ltd. also selected Westinghouse to build four AP300 SMRs in northeastern England. These projects leverage Westinghouse's 75-year history of nuclear manufacturing operations in the U.K. at its facility in Springfields, Lancashire.

The AP300 SMR is based on an advanced, large Generation III+ reactor that is in operation globally-Westinghouse's AP1000, which is already licensed in the U.K.

By leveraging existing technology, Westinghouse is aiming for its AP300 SMR to be available in the early 2030s.

The unit is also under consideration by customers in Europe and North America. The United Kingdom signed a trilateral agreement with the U.S. and Canada in March to collaborate on getting advanced nuclear technology licensed and developed.

At the time of the agreement signing, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission chair Christopher Hanson said it "shows the great progress we've made without international counterparts to ensure advanced reactor technology can be safely and efficiently deployed."