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In a move designed to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors across UK and the USA markets, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have signed a new memorandum of understanding.

The MoU reaffirms an agreement signed in 2020 to cooperate and exchange technical information as the two countries move towards the global deployment of new nuclear technologies.

The initiative is expected to cut duplication and fast-track decisions, targeting reactor design reviews within two years, and nuclear site licensing within one year. The two regulators will mutually recognise each other’s assessments, with appropriate due diligence to ensure legal compliance, but retain independent decision-making.

Where one regulator has already assessed a design, the second regulator will maximise acceptance of assessment of completed work to avoid duplication and speed up deployment.

ONR chief executive Mike Finnerty, the UK’s chief nuclear inspector, said: “The opportunities presented through the refreshed memorandum of understanding and new collaborative way of working outlined in the partnership agreement clearly reaffirm our shared commitment to effective, safe and secure nuclear operations.

“We have had a strong relationship with US counterparts for many years, and we look forward to developing greater collaboration to optimise the collective regulatory efforts in the best interests of our two nations.

“We will also continue to work with industry, through routes such as our early engagement framework to enhance early understanding of regulatory expectations, further enabling timely deployment.”

NRC chair David Wright said: “We are taking our long-standing partnership with UK’s Office of Nuclear Regulation to the next level and redoubling our joint efforts to advance, enable, and deploy nuclear technologies for the future.”

The Environment Agency is also backing the new MoU. Its chief executive, Philip Duffy, said: “We support clean energy generation that is safe, secure, and protects the environment, including nuclear power. This new agreement provides the critical opportunity to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and timeliness of our reactor design assessments.

“We look forward to working more closely with our colleagues in the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, building on our existing memorandums of understanding.”

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