X-Energy, Inc. entered its Xe-100 advanced Small Modular Reactor into the United Kingdom’s Generic Design Assessment process. The Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales will now conduct a multi-year regulatory review. This assessment is a mandatory requirement before site-specific licensing or construction can occur.
The company partnered with Centrica plc to potentially deploy up to 6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the UK. Hartlepool serves as the first proposed site for the project. To accelerate the timeline, the UK will leverage previous safety reviews from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.