Rolls-Royce to Build Three SMR Nuclear Reactors in Major UK Energy Deal

This post has already been read 157 times!

Rolls-Royce SMR has secured a major agreement with the publicly owned Great British Energy – Nuclear, marking a significant milestone in the UK’s push toward clean, secure energy.

Following a two-year selection process, the deal will lead to the creation of a new development company responsible for bringing three Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to market, subject to final government approvals and contract sign-off.

The project is a cornerstone of the government’s £2.5 billion SMR investment programme, part of the broader Plan for Change strategy to expand low-carbon energy infrastructure.

🚧 Construction and Job Creation

The SMR initiative is expected to create up to 3,000 construction jobs at its peak, delivering a major boost to the UK’s nuclear and engineering sectors. The first reactor is projected to be online by the mid-2030s.

Great British Energy – Nuclear, recently rebranded and backed by public funding, will allocate the first UK SMR site later this year.

Combined with the development of Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, this new SMR programme could generate more nuclear power in the 2030s than the UK has produced in the last 50 years.

⚡ A New Era of Nuclear

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed the announcement as a transformational moment:

“We are ending the no-nuclear status quo and entering a golden age of nuclear with the biggest building programme in a generation.”

SMRs are designed to be quicker and more cost-effective than traditional nuclear power stations. Rolls-Royce aims to use a production-line approach to reduce construction time and attract private investment, making the UK a global leader in SMR deployment.

🌍 Global Potential

The global market for SMRs is projected to be worth £500 billion by 2050. With this deal, the UK is positioning itself to export its nuclear expertise and technology, capitalising on early investment and innovation in the sector.

This marks a significant step toward achieving the UK’s long-term energy security and net-zero ambitions, placing clean nuclear power at the heart of the future energy mix.