EDF UK’s proposed 1.3 GW Cottam small modular reactor (SMR) project has become the first development to be considered under Great Britain’s reformed electricity connections process.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) has launched a consultation on whether the Nottinghamshire project should receive “project designation” status. NESO’s current position is that Cottam should qualify, subject to the consultation and there being no concerns from Ofgem.
Project designation provides a route for developments that do not fit neatly within the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 pathway but could nevertheless contribute to the future electricity system. This includes technologies that have become more advanced since the government’s Clean Power Action Plan was published, as well as projects with long development and construction timescales.
If approved, the designation would allow EDF UK to apply for a Gate 2 grid connection offer, provided the project meets the relevant readiness criteria.
EDF is proposing up to four SMR units on the site of the former Cottam coal-fired power station. Together, the reactors would provide around 1.3 GW of low-carbon generating capacity, while making use of an existing industrial energy site and its associated infrastructure.
The project is among the early SMR developments being pursued in Great Britain. Unlike conventional large nuclear plants, SMRs are designed around smaller reactor units that can potentially be deployed at a wider range of sites.
The Cottam proposal highlights one of the challenges facing Britain’s rapidly changing power system: grid connection policy must accommodate projects with very different development timelines and system characteristics.
Under the reformed connections framework, NESO is seeking to prioritise projects that are sufficiently advanced and aligned with future system requirements. Project designation provides an additional route for developments that fall outside the standard Clean Power 2030 pathway but could still have strategic value.
EDF will continue discussions with communities around Cottam as the project develops.
The NESO consultation will determine whether the project progresses towards designation and, subsequently, a potential Gate 2 connection offer.
