The hybrid energy project plans to build an offshore wind farm with SMR (Small Nuclear Reactors) at a site within Wales.

The UK based energy company, Shearwater Energy, have signed a memorandum of understanding with NuScale to investigate their ambitious hybrid energy project to combine an offshore wind farm with an on-site SMR facility in Wales. Along with this, they have also submitted a proposal to UK governments who will see the economic benefits of their project.

This project would, in theory, provide 3 GWe of energy and over 3 million kilograms of hydrogen each year which would be used by the transport, industrial, power and home sectors. This would all be net-zero, clean and, green energy which is ever important to the UK net-zero targets. The nuclear-wind development is a big step for the UK to meet net-zero targets and part of their announcement to invest in SMRs and expand offshore capacities. The systems developed by Shearwater and NuScale will provide the UK grid with reliable and sustainable power that comes from a net-zero source of production.

The memorandum of understanding means that Shearwater and NuScale will explore opportunities within the UK to combine the technologies of NuScale’s leading SMRs, offshore wind farms and, production of hydrogen. Wylfa on Anglesey has been identified as a key opportunity which could begin generation by 2027 and see the installation on 12 SMRs and a 1,000 MW wind farm.

An assessment conducted by NuScale has identified that, with the UK supply chain, a large 75% of their plant can be sourced in the UK which would mean new opportunities for UK businesses which support the general economy.

The Chief Executive Officer at Shearwater, Simon Forster, says:

“Combining low-carbon generating technologies enables us to achieve similar performance characteristics to large thermal plants without the high cost, long construction time and environmental legacy”