Westinghouse Gets £12.5 Million for Upgrade of Nuclear Fuel Facility

The UK Government has granted Westinghouse Electric Company a total of £13.6 million for the modernization and expansion of the nuclear fuel production facility in Springfield.

This information has been reported by the Independent Agency of Atomic Energy News.

Andrew Bowie, the Minister of Nuclear Energy in the UK, emphasized that nuclear energy underpins the government's plan to provide cleaner, safer domestic energy and enhance energy security.

"Today, the £10.5 million government funding for the Westinghouse plant in Springfield will support the development of new fuel technologies required for the next generation of nuclear reactors, while also sustaining high-skilled jobs in Preston and the North West," stated the official.

Within this funding, there will also be support for potential production of nuclear fuel based on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for the new III and IV generation reactors in the UK.

Westinghouse has indicated that these grants will "secure the future" of the British nuclear industry by enabling the development of various fuel options for modern pressurized water reactors, including the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor and the small modular AP300.

Westinghouse will collaborate with the Canadian company Terrestrial Energy and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory for a pilot supply of enriched uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) and molten salt fuel for use in the Terrestrial integral molten salt reactor.

The Westinghouse Springfields plant near the city of Preston in the North West of England has been producing nuclear fuel and related products for nearly 75 years.

Earlier, The Gaze reported that Westinghouse had launched the AP1000 nuclear reactor at the Plant Vogtle nuclear station owned by Southern Nuclear, near Waynesboro, Georgia. This marks the first deployment of a new nuclear reactor in the United States in seven years.

According to data from Georgia Power, the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor generates approximately 1110 megawatts of energy, capable of powering around 500,000 homes and businesses. Importantly, this energy is environmentally clean, as it does not emit greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.

It was previously reported that Westinghouse plans to construct nine AP1000 reactors in Ukraine. Currently, the technology is being considered for implementation in various projects across Central and Eastern Europe, the UK, India, China, and the United States.