Wedoany.com Report-Sept. 18, US-based Holtec International, EDF UK, and real estate firm Tritax Management have signed an agreement to develop Holtec’s SMR-300 small modular reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, UK. The 900-acre site will host a 1GW data centre project, expected to come online by the end of the decade. Initially, the centre will be powered mainly by renewable energy until the SMR-300 units become operational in the 2030s.

Cottam Power Station.

Feasibility studies and early-stage investment discussions are ongoing, with Holtec International and EDF UK engaging relevant stakeholders in both the UK and US governments. The site’s existing grid connections and infrastructure are expected to reduce development costs and accelerate timelines, according to EDF Energy.

Dr Rick Springman, President of Global Clean Energy Opportunities at Holtec, said: “Together with EDF and Tritax, we will help the UK seize a leadership position in both advanced nuclear deployment and the global AI race. The SMR-300s at Cottam represent a potential $15 billion project, creating thousands of local jobs while drawing on the lessons from our Palisades project in Michigan. With this second-of-a-kind deployment, the UK is well positioned to join a global coalition of countries adopting the SMR-300 to drive long-term economic growth.”

Holtec’s SMR-300 is an advanced, pressurised light water reactor, each unit producing 300MW. As a Generation 3+ design, it relies on gravity-driven safety systems, giving it a ‘walk-away safe’ designation. The UK project will benefit from operational experience at Holtec’s Palisades SMR-300 plant in Michigan, with design improvements to ensure regulatory alignment between the US and UK.

EDF Energy highlighted that the project will attract foreign direct investment into the UK, including nuclear fuel fabrication and services by Framatome, and turbine manufacture by Arabelle Solutions. Holtec’s deployment will also support wider clean energy and digital infrastructure development in the region.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated: “Small modular reactors will play a key role in our future clean energy mix, with Holtec and EDF’s proposed development at the old coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire demonstrating the transition to clean power in action, and how this can power industries of the future. By working with the US, we will reap the benefits of this golden age of nuclear, powering British homes with clean, homegrown energy, delivering well-paid skilled jobs and getting energy bills down for good.”

The Cottam project combines advanced nuclear technology with renewable energy integration and aims to become a hub for both low-carbon electricity and data centre operations. The initiative is positioned to create thousands of jobs locally, strengthen UK clean energy capabilities, and provide a model for future SMR deployments globally, while leveraging lessons learned from Holtec’s first-of-a-kind SMR-300 plant in the US.