Inside EDF & Holtec's Proposal to Expand UK Nuclear Power

EDF and Holtec International have submitted a joint proposal to the UK Government, detailing their plans to build a series of small modular reactors at a site in Cottam, Nottinghamshire.

The firms are proposing to build on a brownfield site – a former coal-fired power station that was decommissioned seven years ago.

Under the proposal, the site could play host to four of Holtec's SMR-300 units, widely considered among the best reactors on the market.

Together, these SMRs could produce an estimated 1.3GW, equivalent to roughly 3% of the UK's energy demand according to Carbon Brief.

The companies have also signed Heads of Terms to form a joint venture that will take the project forward.

Simone Rossi, the CEO of EDF UK, believes Cottam is the perfect site for a nuclear installation.

"The Cottam project supports the UK government's ambition to expand nuclear capacity and will facilitate significant re-development of a region that has given so much to the UK through its coal heritage," she says.

Though the proposal has only recently been submitted, it very much aligns with the government's ambitions when it comes to energy.

Last year, Ed Miliband, the UK's Energy Secretary, announced an US$18.5bn investment in nuclear power across the country, describing this moment as a "golden age" for the energy source.

“The truth is that we have this massive challenge to get off fossil fuels. That is the central driving ambition of the government’s clean energy superpower mission. We know that we’re going to have to see electricity demand at least double, by 2050," he said at the time.

“All of the expert advice says nuclear has a really important role to play in the energy system. In any sensible reckoning, this is essential to get to our clean power and net zero ambitions.”

The nuclear credentials of EDF and Holtec

EDF is the world's largest nuclear operator and currently operates 20% of the UK's nuclear power plants.

The French firm operates the bulk of France's reactor fleet alongside the UK stations like Hinkley Point B and Sizewell B.

It is also leading the construction of Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, two of the UK's most ambitious nuclear projects to date.

EDF has been present in Britain for decades and it inherited much of the country's nuclear generating capacity when it acquired British Energy in 2009.

Holtec's history in the sector is rather different. The American firm was founded in 1986 and built its early reputation on spent fuel storage and handling equipment for nuclear plants rather than reactor construction itself.

It later moved into decommissioning acquiring shuttered plants like New York's Indian Point and Palisades in Michigan.

The Cottam proposal pairs EDF's operating pedigree with Holtec's newest reactor technology and fuel cycle expertise.

That combination is presumably the rationale behind a partnership the two companies say has already lasted more than three decades in various forms.

Rick Springman, the President of Holtec, said the partnership with EDF gives the Cottam plan a solid footing.

"Our long-standing partnership with EDF, combined with the opportunity created by the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework, provides a strong foundation for advancing SMR-300 deployment at Cottam."

Rick added that Holtec intends to grow its UK footprint substantially.

"Holtec plans to substantially expand its presence in the UK with a significantly larger operation center and is evaluating a manufacturing plant to build nuclear equipment in the country."

That would mark a shift from project development towards domestic manufacturing.

Regulatory momentum on both sides of the Atlantic

The Cottam submission falls under the UK's Advanced Nuclear Framework.

That framework was set up to speed the deployment of advanced reactor technologies and draw in private capital.

It explicitly favours a market led approach over the heavily subsidised models used for large reactors such as Hinkley Point C.

The companies say both projects stand to benefit from closer cooperation between the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The two regulators have been working to align their processes so that design approvals in one jurisdiction can carry more weight in the other.

For developers that cooperation matters because duplicated regulatory review has historically been one of the slower and more expensive parts of bringing reactor designs to new markets.

What this means for the UK's nuclear ambitions

The UK government wants to significantly increase nuclear's share of the electricity mix as it works towards net zero and tries to bring down reliance on gas.

Small modular reactors are central to that strategy because they are pitched as quicker to build and cheaper to finance than conventional large scale plants.

Whether that promise holds up in practice remains to be tested at scale anywhere in the world including at Pioneer.

EDF brings more than three decades of operating experience in the UK nuclear fleet to the partnership.

Holtec brings the reactor design and manufacturing ambitions.

The Cottam proposal is one of several SMR projects now competing for government backing and grid connection slots.

Its progress will be watched closely as an early test of how fast the Advanced Nuclear Framework can actually move projects from paper to construction.