WELL, THIS IS THE 21st CENTURY YOU KNOW, EVEN IN OLD BLIGHTY: First ‘private’ nuclear reactor to power 2m British homes.

Britain’s first “private” nuclear power station is to be built in Teesside using mini reactors previously championed by Boris Johnson.

Four so-called small modular reactors (SMRs) will be installed on the north bank of the River Tees under the scheme, producing 1.5 gigawatts of power – enough for up to two million homes.

For the first time in British history, the taxpayer is not involved.

The aim is to have them running by the early 2030s, meaning the power station could be in operation ahead of Hinkley Point C – now under construction in Somerset – and well before Sizewell C, planned for the Suffolk coast. Both are backed by the state.

Community Nuclear Power, the company behind the Teesside project, said it has reached an agreement with the US manufacturer Westinghouse to supply the reactors.

Faster, please. As Glenn likes to say, you can’t be antinuclear and care about the environment.