On [Friday, 1 November 2024] the US’ largest exporter of nuclear components, Holtec, reaffirmed and expanded their October 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sheffield Forgemasters, a global leader in steel production and engineering and the only UK company with the ability to manufacture large, nuclear-grade forgings and castings, to support the manufacture of component parts for Holtec’s SMR-300 Small Modular Reactor (SMR).
Holtec and Sheffield Forgemasters Signing MoU. Pictured, from left, Martin Kearney (SFEL), Gareth Thomas (Holtec).
Following the government’s International Investment Summit, the American nuclear giant is continuing to invest heavily into the UK industrial ecosystem for its SMR. Holtec has been active in the UK for more than 27 years. The agreement is a further demonstration of the company’s long term commitment to UK manufacturing and domestic market, which will also be its hub for exports.
The new MoU agrees that both parties will:
- Collaborate on the design and manufacture of component parts for 16 of Holtec’s SMR-300 Small Modular Reactors from 2026 up to 2050
- Identify additional areas of collaboration on production of other Holtec components required in the nuclear supply
- Work with Sheffield Forgemasters to qualify as a Holtec approved supplier of nuclear safety significant components and review the design for manufacture and purchase specifications for such identified forgings to maximise efficiency.
- Collaborate on applying for opportunities for prototype manufacturing of components and testing of unique processes in order to reduce costs.
The expanded agreement is the latest in a long list of commitments from Holtec to bolster its UK industrial footprint, including building a UK factory estimated to generate 3,000 engineering jobs over the next 20 years and downstream generating £1.5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy.
Its project team includes UK construction giants Balfour Beatty, Mitsubishi Electric, UK engineering consultants Mott McDonald and Hyundai E&C – the major South Korean construction company who has delivered 18 nuclear plants in South Korea.
Gareth Thomas, Director at Holtec Britain said:
“Our updated MoU is a serious statement of intent to cement our UK footprint to service the UK domestic market with UK R&D, UK jobs and a fully integrated UK supply chain.
Sheffield Forgemasters are world-renowned engineers and leaders in the manufacture of advanced component parts. We are proud to be working closely with a historic British company
to further advance our Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) technology SMR-300 and other game changing nuclear projects. This collaboration will allow us to leverage Sheffield Forgemasters expertise in forgings and large-scale manufacturing to support our SMR-300 program.
Holtec is committed to providing highly skilled UK engineering and manufacturing jobs – working in with Sheffield Forgemasters and other leaders in the UK’s wider supply chain.”
In December last year Holtec was awarded £30m from the UK’s Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to progress its Pressurised Water Reactor SMR design through the UK ‘Generic Design Assessment’ process. In August this year, ‘Step 1’ of the GDA process was completed in record time.
