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France-based nuclear technology developer Newcleo has announced the suspension of its UK programme for lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) and a significant winding down of its UK activities. This decision follows a strategic review aimed at prioritizing regions that support the development of advanced modular reactor (AMR) technologies and closed fuel cycles, especially those committed to the reuse of spent nuclear fuel.

Despite relocating its headquarters to the UK in 2021 and engaging with multiple government administrations regarding access to the UKás 140 tonnes of civil plutonium, Newcleo has faced persistent obstacles. The UK government recently decided to immobilize this plutonium, effectively denying Newcleo the critical resource it needed for its reactor designs. CEO Stefano Buono expressed disappointment over the lack of government support, which has favored other small modular reactor (SMR) technologies while leaving Generation IV developers like Newcleo without backing.

Newcleo's UK workforce of approximately 150 will be retained at a reduced capacity to maintain a presence and potentially ramp up activities if conditions improve. The company is also exploring avenues for dialogue with the UK government to discuss future support.

In contrast, Newcleo is advancing plans in more supportive markets, such as Slovakia and Lithuania, where it has formed joint ventures to develop LFRs using local spent nuclear fuel. The company has raised over á570 million ($666 million) since its inception and has ambitions to establish a mixed oxide manufacturing plant in France and a prototype reactor by 2031, aiming for commercial reactor deployment by 2033.

As the international competition for advanced nuclear technologies intensifies, Newcleo's decision underscores the critical importance of regulatory and financial support in driving innovation and investment in the nuclear sector.