Nuclear Turbines raises £15M for compact reactors
Nuclear Turbines has emerged from stealth with £15M to develop smaller nuclear-power systems using high-temperature turbine technology.
The hardest part of supplying power to data centres and industrial sites is not generating electricity occasionally. It is delivering large amounts of reliable power around the clock.
What happened
Manchester-based Nuclear Turbines emerged from stealth with £15M. The company was spun out of BAE Systems’ Launchpad programme and was founded by former BAE principal engineer Jeremy Owston and nuclear engineer Professor Tim Abram.
Its proposed design replaces much of the steam infrastructure used in conventional nuclear plants with high-temperature turbine technology adapted from jet engines and gas-fired generation. The company argues that this architecture could make nuclear systems smaller and more practical to install directly at industrial sites.
The capital will support further engineering, testing and development. The technology remains at an early stage and has not yet completed the certification or deployment pathway required for commercial nuclear systems.
Why it matters
Industrial facilities and AI data centres need firm electricity that intermittent renewables cannot always supply alone. Compact nuclear systems could provide continuous low-carbon power without waiting for major new grid connections.
The potential is significant, but so are the barriers: nuclear certification, fuel supply, safety validation, construction risk and long development timelines.
The bigger picture
AI infrastructure is reviving interest in power technologies once viewed as too slow or capital-intensive. The companies that matter will be those able to convert promising reactor concepts into certifiable, manufacturable systems rather than one-off engineering projects.