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Released May 22, 2024 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Car and aerospace major Rolls-Royce (London, England) has scaled back plans to build a small modular reactor (SMR) manufacturing plant in the U.K.
The decision by the company, which is the leading proponent for mini-nuclear plant deployment in the U.K., comes following delays by the government's newly minted Great British Nuclear (GBN) body pushing a decision on where the first SMR reactors will be built until after the next general election later this year. The company had originally proposed one factory to make heavy pressure vessels for its SMRs and another to make the modular components for its planned design. It has now shelved plans for the heavy pressure vessel plant, which was earmarked for a number of different locations including International Advanced Manufacturing Park on the outskirts of Sunderland, Teesworks in Redcar and the Gateway industrial park in Deeside, Wales. In a comment to the Telegraph newspaper, a Rolls Royce SMR spokesperson said: "[We have] prioritized work on our modules assembly and test facility. Our efforts are focused on identifying the best site to support our deployment at pace." The company will now source the heavy pressure vessels from another supplier.
Based on small pressurized water reactors (PWRs), Rolls Royce has announced plans to build 16 SMRs, each capable of generating up to 470 megawatts (MW) of electricity--enough to power 450,000 homes for 60 years. Each plant will take up 10% of the footprint of a conventional nuclear power plant. The eventual goal is to have a 500-day modular build--significantly shorter than the construction of more traditional nuclear power plants--and with a proposed price tag of £1.8 billion (US$2.4 billion) or less. The first plants will be operational by the early 2030s, with 10 completed by 2035, Rolls Royce has previously stated.
The company has been critical about the government's slow approach to identifying suitable sites. In February, Tufan Erginbilgiç, chief executive officer of Rolls Royce warned that the company could build its first mini-reactor in continental Europe if ministers failed to speed up decision-making. "What I am worried about is the pace of the GBN process. I am concerned that they must deliver what they said and stick to the timetable. So as long as that happens then it is fine. But we are also looking at other options because some European countries are very attracted to what we are doing and we are in very serious discussions with some of them." Most recently, Poland has expressed strong interest in deploying the company's SMRs.
Rolls Royce is one of six winning bidders accepted for the U.K. government's first SMR auction. The others are Electricite de France (EDF) (Paris, France), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International (Wilmington, North Carolina), Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida), NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) (Portland, Oregon) and Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania). However, Rolls-Royce SMR technology is well ahead of the others in getting its technology certified. It was the first to advance to the second stage of the U.K.'s assessment process for nuclear reactor technology, putting it years ahead of rivals in the race to get SMRs licensed and constructed in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe. For additional information, see April 19, 2023, article - Rolls Royce Mini Nuclear Reactor Clears First Hurdle.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The decision by the company, which is the leading proponent for mini-nuclear plant deployment in the U.K., comes following delays by the government's newly minted Great British Nuclear (GBN) body pushing a decision on where the first SMR reactors will be built until after the next general election later this year. The company had originally proposed one factory to make heavy pressure vessels for its SMRs and another to make the modular components for its planned design. It has now shelved plans for the heavy pressure vessel plant, which was earmarked for a number of different locations including International Advanced Manufacturing Park on the outskirts of Sunderland, Teesworks in Redcar and the Gateway industrial park in Deeside, Wales. In a comment to the Telegraph newspaper, a Rolls Royce SMR spokesperson said: "[We have] prioritized work on our modules assembly and test facility. Our efforts are focused on identifying the best site to support our deployment at pace." The company will now source the heavy pressure vessels from another supplier.
Based on small pressurized water reactors (PWRs), Rolls Royce has announced plans to build 16 SMRs, each capable of generating up to 470 megawatts (MW) of electricity--enough to power 450,000 homes for 60 years. Each plant will take up 10% of the footprint of a conventional nuclear power plant. The eventual goal is to have a 500-day modular build--significantly shorter than the construction of more traditional nuclear power plants--and with a proposed price tag of £1.8 billion (US$2.4 billion) or less. The first plants will be operational by the early 2030s, with 10 completed by 2035, Rolls Royce has previously stated.
The company has been critical about the government's slow approach to identifying suitable sites. In February, Tufan Erginbilgiç, chief executive officer of Rolls Royce warned that the company could build its first mini-reactor in continental Europe if ministers failed to speed up decision-making. "What I am worried about is the pace of the GBN process. I am concerned that they must deliver what they said and stick to the timetable. So as long as that happens then it is fine. But we are also looking at other options because some European countries are very attracted to what we are doing and we are in very serious discussions with some of them." Most recently, Poland has expressed strong interest in deploying the company's SMRs.
Rolls Royce is one of six winning bidders accepted for the U.K. government's first SMR auction. The others are Electricite de France (EDF) (Paris, France), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International (Wilmington, North Carolina), Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida), NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) (Portland, Oregon) and Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania). However, Rolls-Royce SMR technology is well ahead of the others in getting its technology certified. It was the first to advance to the second stage of the U.K.'s assessment process for nuclear reactor technology, putting it years ahead of rivals in the race to get SMRs licensed and constructed in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe. For additional information, see April 19, 2023, article - Rolls Royce Mini Nuclear Reactor Clears First Hurdle.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
