A UK consultancy and engineering company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese nuclear plant builder.

Amec Foster Wheeler and China Nuclear Engineering & Construction (CNEC) have joined forces in nuclear power development, construction, operation and decommissioning projects globally.

They will also work together on reactor management, operation, lifetime extension and upgrading of existing units.

It is also expected that CNEC will use Amec Foster Wheeler’s new High-Temperature Facility in the UK, which will carry out research and testing on materials capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1,000°C.

Tom Jones, Vice President of Amec Foster Wheeler’s Clean Energy Business said: “High-temperature reactors have great potential to provide safe, clean and sustainable energy for the future. We hope that our collaboration with CNEC will help the UK and China to realise the potential benefits of this tremendously important technology.”

Last month the head of EDF Energy insisted the Hinkley Point C nuclear project will go ahead “clearly and categorically”.