X-Energy plots nuclear role for industrial decarbonisation

Published in conjunction with nuclear heat applications consultancy Equilibrion, Beyond Electricity claims that high-temperature steam (565°c) from a new breed of small modular reactors (SMRs) can replace the huge amounts of fossil-fuel heat that industry currently relies on. Working in partnership with Cavendish Nuclear, X-Energy is planning on deploying up to 40 of its Xe-100 SMRs across the UK, beginning with a 12-reactor plant at Hartlepool, set to come online in the early 2030s.  

“This is a huge opportunity for Teesside and the country as a whole,” said Carol Tansley, X-energy’s vice president of UK New Build Projects. “There is a skilled nuclear workforce, with decades of experience of high temperature gas reactor technology, already in place at Hartlepool Power Station and the plant will be reaching the end of its life just as our project entered development and construction.

“We can provide high quality local jobs and the broadest range of decarbonisation options for the area’s industrial base, and then use that experience to benefit similar regions across the UK.”