Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley Mayor, said: “I am delighted that our area has been named in the shortlist for Holtec’s ground-breaking project, which will deliver significant jobs and investment.
“Our region is at the forefront of the clean energy revolution in which nuclear will play a vital role, so we are dedicated to developing our area as a location for such major developments.”
Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, added: “South Yorkshire is cementing our place at the forefront of manufacturing the UK’s small modular reactor capability, in partnership with world leading companies like Holtec.”
SMRs are designed to be built in factories using production line techniques, and then assembled on site, reducing costs and construction times.
None is yet in service so they are yet to be tested.
But they have won strong backing from the Government as a potential means of avoiding the cost overruns and delays associated with larger projects, such as Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
Holtec is developing an SMR that can be cooled in an emergency without external power.
A single 160 megawatt Holtec reactor will occupy six hectares of space, the equivalent of 10 football pitches, making it suitable for industrial sites.
Last year, Claire Coutinho, the Energy Secretary, awarded £30m in government funding to the Florida-based company to continue exploring the technology.
It is competing with rivals including UK champion Rolls-Royce and American competitors General Electric and Westinghouse to develop a working demonstrator.
