News: Rolls-Royce SMR selection "good news for Rotherham" says MP
Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has welcomed the announcement that Rolls-Royce SMR has been named as the selected technology in the Great British Nuclear (GBN) small modular reactor (SMR) competition.
SMRs promise to be much more affordable in the UK than the large scale reactors planned for projects like Hinkley Point C, which has struggled to secure investors and has strike prices inflated by the expense of financing the multi billion pound project.
The UK’s next generation of nuclear power stations will be designed and built by a British company, creating thousands of jobs, boosting the supply chain and creating growth for the economy.
In Rotherham, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), has been working for over a decade to support the development of SMRs in the UK. With the Nuclear AMRC now subsumed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), the work continues.
In partnership with Rolls-Royce, a Module Development Facility is being housed within the AMRC’s flagship Factory 2050 building in Sheffield, that will produce working prototypes of the individual modules that will be assembled into Rolls-Royce SMR power plants. The first phase is worth £2.7m and will be part of a wider £15m+ package.
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected by GBN to build three SMR units in the UK. The decision is expected to help the business retain its crucial first mover advantage in a market that is growing and attracting significant international interest.
Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive, Chris Cholerton, said: “This is a day to celebrate a milestone achievement. This success is testament to our incredible team which has developed a world-leading technology and worked tirelessly over the last two years to ensure we could provide a winning tender to GBN.
“As well as delivering affordable, clean energy to support our nation’s energy independence – deploying three of our units will drive domestic growth by creating thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs and supply chain opportunities. We are the only SMR company with multiple commitments to build projects in Europe, testament to our differentiated design and compelling offer."
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Ben Morgan, interim chief executive officer at the University of Sheffield AMRC, added: “This is a truly fantastic outcome, representing a powerful signal to the world that our nation is committed to a clean, secure energy future and shows global investors that Britain is building and providing a massive opportunity for manufacturers and for those seeking high-skilled jobs.
“The AMRC, which is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, has been actively working with Rolls-Royce SMR for many years to solve the complex manufacturing challenges central to their SMR design.
“Rolls-Royce SMR’s selection is a brilliant illustration of how strategic innovation, collaborative research and a shared vision can not only accelerate technological development but also unlock monumental industrial opportunities for the UK. The AMRC is proud to be at the heart of this industrial renaissance with Rolls-Royce SMR.”
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said that it was "excellent news" that is "set to directly benefit Rotherham and the research facilities at our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre."
She added: "Rolls Royce’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR), has been selected to deliver the UK's first ever SMRs in a new era of nuclear power. There is also investment in our world leading fusion, with research taking place in Rotherham’s UK Atomic Energy Authority.
"Today’s announced Rolls Royce project alone could support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction and power the equivalent of around 3 million of today’s homes.
"Rotherham, and the talent, expertise and creativity we can provide, is now established on the international stage."
Whilst research and development continues, Rolls-Royce has yet to decide on where the modules will be built. The modular approach is unique within the nuclear industry but is widely used and well proven across the oil and gas and renewables sectors.
In 2022, Rolls-Royce announced a shortlist of locations for the first of three factories. South Yorkshire was not on the this list for a factory that would manufacture the "heavy vessels" used in a SMR power station, The other two factories will manufacture civils modules and mechanical electrical and plumbing (MEP) modules – which will be transported to sites and assembled into a nuclear power station that will generate 470MW of low-carbon electricity.
Rolls-Royce was progressing plans for a new Rotherham factory in 2012 that would manufacture and assemble power vessels for the next generation of nuclear power stations. "Project PoWer" was due to create hundreds of jobs alongside its £110m turbine casting facility on the AMP but delays in the large scale nuclear sector means that the remaining land bought by Rolls-Royce remains undeveloped.
Rolls-Royce SMR website
AMRC website
Images: Rolls-Royce / Google Maps
SMRs promise to be much more affordable in the UK than the large scale reactors planned for projects like Hinkley Point C, which has struggled to secure investors and has strike prices inflated by the expense of financing the multi billion pound project.
The UK’s next generation of nuclear power stations will be designed and built by a British company, creating thousands of jobs, boosting the supply chain and creating growth for the economy.
In Rotherham, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), has been working for over a decade to support the development of SMRs in the UK. With the Nuclear AMRC now subsumed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), the work continues.
In partnership with Rolls-Royce, a Module Development Facility is being housed within the AMRC’s flagship Factory 2050 building in Sheffield, that will produce working prototypes of the individual modules that will be assembled into Rolls-Royce SMR power plants. The first phase is worth £2.7m and will be part of a wider £15m+ package.
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected by GBN to build three SMR units in the UK. The decision is expected to help the business retain its crucial first mover advantage in a market that is growing and attracting significant international interest.
Rolls-Royce SMR Chief Executive, Chris Cholerton, said: “This is a day to celebrate a milestone achievement. This success is testament to our incredible team which has developed a world-leading technology and worked tirelessly over the last two years to ensure we could provide a winning tender to GBN.
“As well as delivering affordable, clean energy to support our nation’s energy independence – deploying three of our units will drive domestic growth by creating thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs and supply chain opportunities. We are the only SMR company with multiple commitments to build projects in Europe, testament to our differentiated design and compelling offer."
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Ben Morgan, interim chief executive officer at the University of Sheffield AMRC, added: “This is a truly fantastic outcome, representing a powerful signal to the world that our nation is committed to a clean, secure energy future and shows global investors that Britain is building and providing a massive opportunity for manufacturers and for those seeking high-skilled jobs.
“The AMRC, which is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, has been actively working with Rolls-Royce SMR for many years to solve the complex manufacturing challenges central to their SMR design.
“Rolls-Royce SMR’s selection is a brilliant illustration of how strategic innovation, collaborative research and a shared vision can not only accelerate technological development but also unlock monumental industrial opportunities for the UK. The AMRC is proud to be at the heart of this industrial renaissance with Rolls-Royce SMR.”
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said that it was "excellent news" that is "set to directly benefit Rotherham and the research facilities at our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre."
She added: "Rolls Royce’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR), has been selected to deliver the UK's first ever SMRs in a new era of nuclear power. There is also investment in our world leading fusion, with research taking place in Rotherham’s UK Atomic Energy Authority.
"Today’s announced Rolls Royce project alone could support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction and power the equivalent of around 3 million of today’s homes.
"Rotherham, and the talent, expertise and creativity we can provide, is now established on the international stage."
In 2022, Rolls-Royce announced a shortlist of locations for the first of three factories. South Yorkshire was not on the this list for a factory that would manufacture the "heavy vessels" used in a SMR power station, The other two factories will manufacture civils modules and mechanical electrical and plumbing (MEP) modules – which will be transported to sites and assembled into a nuclear power station that will generate 470MW of low-carbon electricity.
Rolls-Royce was progressing plans for a new Rotherham factory in 2012 that would manufacture and assemble power vessels for the next generation of nuclear power stations. "Project PoWer" was due to create hundreds of jobs alongside its £110m turbine casting facility on the AMP but delays in the large scale nuclear sector means that the remaining land bought by Rolls-Royce remains undeveloped.
Rolls-Royce SMR website
AMRC website
Images: Rolls-Royce / Google Maps
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