Centrica and X‑energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool College of Further Education and the Hartlepool Development Corporation to create a new Nuclear and Electrical Trades Academy in Hartlepool.

The agreement was signed on 6 March and formally witnessed by The Rt Hon Bridget Philipson MP, Secretary of State for Education, alongside Jonathan Brash MP for Hartlepool.

The Academy will deliver high‑quality technical training, literacy and numeracy support, and structured pathways into employment across clean energy, nuclear and adjacent industries. The initiative is designed to place local people at the front of the queue for long‑term skilled roles, while strengthening the regional supply chain that underpins national net‑zero delivery.

The preferred location is the former Binns department store at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre. Hartlepool Borough Council has committed £13.8m in capital investment, and the partners will work jointly on the design, location, funding and delivery of the project — a town‑centre regeneration that brings a prominent building back into productive use.

The partnership forms part of a wider Centrica–X‑energy collaboration to deploy X‑energy's Xe‑100 advanced high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactor (HTGR) technology in the UK, with Hartlepool named as the preferred first site. Earlier this week the companies submitted a formal proposal for entry into the Government's Advanced Nuclear Framework (ANF) Pipeline, following publication of the framework in February 2026 — a step intended to support the UK's goals on clean power, energy security and industrial innovation.

Chris O'Shea, Group Chief Executive, Centrica, said: "Hartlepool has been at the heart of the UK's nuclear success for more than half a century. Our aim is to ensure that the next generation of clean‑energy jobs stays rooted here too. This partnership is about giving young people the skills, confidence and pathways to build their futures in a sector that will support Britain for decades to come. We've got big ambitions for Hartlepool - not just to host new nuclear technology, but to become one of the UK's leading centres for clean energy skills and training. That means real opportunities, real investment, and long‑term careers for local people as the town leads the next chapter of the UK's energy story."

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Alistair Black, Vice President, X‑energy, said: "The nuclear industry runs on skilled people, and this academy will help provide a first-class workforce to support a new proposed power station at Hartlepool. These will be real, long-term careers in a growing industry - high quality well-paid work that people can build a life around, close to home. That kind of opportunity can make a genuine and lasting difference to communities here. We'll bring everything we know about our exciting Xe-100 technology to support the training, so that every person who comes through here leaves with qualifications that the whole industry will respect."

Minister for Nuclear Lord Vallance said: "We are seizing the opportunity to become a frontrunner in pioneering nuclear technology, recently launching our Advanced Nuclear Framework to get projects off the ground. Hartlepool is primed to benefit, and this academy will train up the next generation of highly skilled workers to take advantage of the thousands of well-paid, good jobs on offer as part of the clean energy transition."

The Rt Hon Bridget Philipson MP, Secretary of State for Education, said: "Britain's clean‑energy transition will only succeed if we match investment in new technologies with investment in people. Today's agreement is exactly the kind of partnership we want to see: industry leading the way, communities at the heart of it, and young people gaining access to the skills and opportunities of the future."

Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, said: "For years, Britain has talked a good game about skills while failing to train the workers the country actually needs. This Academy is about changing that. With new nuclear coming to Hartlepool, there will be thousands of skilled jobs. This deal is about making sure local people are first in the queue, not watching opportunities pass us by. This is about proper trades, real skills and decent jobs. Training on our doorstep, linked directly to employers, and focused on the skills that will power and rebuild Hartlepool and the country for decades. Bringing the old Binns building back into use as a modern trades academy also shows what regeneration should look like, not talk, but action that people can see and benefit from."

Cllr Pamela Hargreaves, Council Leader and Chair of Economic Growth & Regeneration Committee, Hartlepool Council, said: "When we secured this landmark nuclear deal, I was absolutely clear about one thing: Hartlepool must come first. A deal of this scale must deliver real jobs, real skills and real futures for the people who live here. That's why, over the last six months, I've been personally driving this forward, bringing together X Energy, Centrica and our fantastic FE College to turn the vision of a Trades Academy into a reality. We've committed £13.8 million to transform the old Binns building, and I've worked to secure the backing needed to get this project over the line.

"This isn't just another announcement, it's a generational investment in Hartlepool's future. It will open the door for local people to train for skilled, well-paid careers right here at home, while helping deliver the workforce Britain needs for the nuclear industries of tomorrow. Put simply: this is about making sure the biggest opportunities coming to our town are seized by Hartlepool people. And I'm proud to have led the charge to make it happen."

Gary Riches, Vice Principal, Hartlepool College of Further Education, said: "Hartlepool College of Further Education stands ready to deliver the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will make this Trades Academy a success. But technical training alone is not enough. The industries of the future need people with the right attitude, behaviours and confidence - individuals whose character shines through in the workplace. That blend of skill and personal development has been at the heart of what we do since 1849, and it's why our learners go on to thrive in high‑demand, high‑skill sectors. We are proud to play our part in ensuring Hartlepool people are first in line for the opportunities this investment will unlock."

Alongside adult and apprenticeship provision, the partners will support local schools and wider community engagement to encourage young people into STEM subjects, ensuring the clean‑energy transition translates into enduring prosperity for Hartlepool.

The MoU is signed by Centrica plc; X‑energy UK Holdings, Ltd; Hartlepool Borough Council; Hartlepool College of Further Education; Hartlepool Development Corporation; and Jonathan Brash MP for Hartlepool. X‑energy's Xe‑100 is an advanced small modular reactor (AMR) designed for flexible electricity generation, industrial heat, hydrogen production and industrial decarbonisation — a technology focus that underscores the Academy's national relevance to the UK construction, engineering and energy supply chains.