US-based micro-nuclear technology developer Last Energy has begun the nuclear site licensing process for its plans to develop four 20 MW microreactors in South Wales.

The company said the UK’s regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), had formally confirmed that Last Energy had entered the process.

ONR’s notice follows seven months of early engagement with Last Energy and is a critical step for the company’s deployment progress in the UK.

Last Energy said in a statement that its entry into licensing also underscores the viability of privately financed projects and puts the UK on a path towards its first commercial nuclear microreactor.