An artist’s impression of Rolls-Royce’s mini nuclear reactor – Rolls-Royce
Sunderland, Teesside and Deeside in North Wales have been shortlisted for Rolls-Royce’s first factory supplying parts for its proposed fleet of small nuclear power generators.
The FTSE 100 company will choose one of the three sites as the location for a £100-£200m facility expected to create more than 200 jobs.
The move marks a significant step forward for Rolls-Royce’s long-held plans to eventually build about 30 “small-modular nuclear reactors”, each with a capacity of about 470 megawatts. Rolls-Royce hopes the fleet of SMRs will supply millions of homes and businesses with clean electricity.
SMRs are faster and cheaper to build than traditional nuclear plants, with more assembly done off site using factory-made parts.
Tom Samson, chief executive of Rolls’s SMR division, said it aims to eventually build at least three factories manufacturing components for the SMRs, amounting to “an incredible opportunity for a region of the UK”.
He added: “Our power stations will be built in British factories situated in the north of England or Wales and will generate tens of thousands of long-term highly skilled jobs – accelerating regional economic growth.”
Rolls-Royce is set to make a final decision on the exact location early next year, although it said it would not enter final negotiations until it is in formal talks with the Government about rolling out its planned reactors, which will require government support to get off the ground. Its technology is currently being assessed by UK regulators.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence for the North from Rolls-Royce SMR.
“Once the Government negotiates a deal to underpin the necessary private investment, we should be able to build a fleet of power stations across the UK, using cutting edge, homegrown technology.”
Ben Houchen, mayor of Tees Valley, said it was “great news” that Teesworks was in the running, adding: “Whatever the outcome, this goes to show big businesses and household names have their eyes on Teesside like never before.”
The three shortlisted sites for Rolls-Royce’s first planned factory are The International Advanced Manufacturing Park, Sunderland and South Tyneside; Teesworks, Teesside; and Gateway, Deeside, near Chester.
The final factory will manufacture pressure vessels for SMRs, which are the large steel structures surrounding the reactor core. They are considered some of the largest and most complex parts of the power plant.
Keyword: Rolls-Royce's mini-nuclear reactors plan steps up a gear