Mott MacDonald signs small modular reactor agreement

The agreement is said to build on the Clean Energy Partnership signed between the UK and Korean governments in November 2023.

It also follows the appointment of Mott MacDonald as the delivery partner for the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of Holtec Britain’s Small Modular Reactor SMR-300 in the UK, having secured £30m of grant funding from the UK government’s Future Nuclear Enabling Fund for this.  

SMR-300 is a pressurised water reactor (PWR) technology based on existing US and UK standards using PWR fuel like that already used at Sizewell B and other new UK reactors under development, including Hinkley Point C. Holtec said its SMR is designed to have a minimum service life of 80 years and can produce approximately 300Mwe, or 1050MWt for process applications.

The MOU was signed at the Korean Embassy in London, during an event hosted by Yoon Yeocheol, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United Kingdom and attended by the prime minister’s trade envoy to the Republic of Korea, Sir John Whittingdale MP.  

In a statement, Cathy Travers, group managing director, Mott MacDonald said: “SMR technology will bring reliable, affordable and low carbon electricity to industry, homes, and businesses, as well as contributing to the UK government’s ambition of generating 24GW of nuclear capacity by 2050.

“International collaboration from across the nuclear industry is key to its successful deployment, which is why we are bringing decades of collective experience to bear as we explore this path with Holtec Britain and Hyundai E&C.”