Many people think that Rolls-Royce RR SMRs will be built in the UK and elsewhere, and so they are investing in RR shares. However, this document is asking for justification on the use of RR SMRs in the UK although it seems US SMRs are already going ahead in the UK.
We are seeking your views on an application for a regulatory justification decision on the ‘Rolls-Royce SMR’ (small modular reactor). This reactor is designed by Rolls-Royce SMR Limited and the application was made by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), the representative body for the civil nuclear industry in the UK.
RR is talking about delivering three SMRs to UK by mid-2030's...
In June this year Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as the UK government's preferred technology for the country's first SMR project with the goal of signing contracts later this year and forming a development company. Great British Energy - Nuclear, which ran the selection, will also aim to allocate a site later this year and connect projects to the grid in the mid-2030s.
A final investment decision is expected to be taken in 2029.
'Rolls-Royce has a long history of collaboration with the US, in particular with BWXT. We are exploring ways to deepen this relationship across advanced nuclear technologies, building on our existing nuclear Teaming Agreement and the work on Project Pele, where we have an established collaboration on developing an Advanced Modular Reactor in the US.'
In June this year, Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd was selected as the preferred bidder to develop the UK’s first commercial Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd. is committed to working with UK Government and the regulator to deliver power-to-grid by the mid-2030s. Building a fleet of SMRs will contribute £54bn for the British economy and unlock new export opportunities for the UK.
In October 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR was selected by energy firm CEZ to deploy up to 3GW of electricity in the Czech Republic. We continue to see significant international interest in Rolls-Royce SMRs, including in Sweden where we have been shortlisted as one of two potential SMR providers by Vattenfall.
US SMR projects in UK
In the biggest and most advanced commercial project, Britain’s largest energy supplier Centrica will pair with the US reactor firm X-energy to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool, announcing an investment that could create up to 2,500 jobs in the north-east of England.
The X-Energy-Centrica deal confirms a nuclear future for Hartlepool, where the existing reactor is scheduled to be decommissioned by 2028, and paves the way for a potential further programme of 20 or more modular reactors around the country, providing as much power, 6GW, as Britain’s current total output. The 12 Hartlepool reactors are expected to generate enough power for up to 1.5m homes.
Other ventures announced include plans by the US nuclear firm Holtec, EDF Energy and the property developer Tritax, for advanced datacentres powered by small modular reactors at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, in an £11bn project.
Another US reactor company, Last Energy, is partnering with the port and P&O Ferries owner DP World, to develop one of the world’s first micro modular nuclear power plants. It would supply the DP World’s London Gateway port and business park.
Are SMRs the answer?
The UK alone is planning on having dozens of SMRs operational in the 2030s, however they will also come with associated dangers and running costs.
Consider that each SMR will need a 2-person 24x7 team in attendance to monitor and control each one. Then each one will need two 24x7 security guards. Next we have the possibility of terrorist attack, war or accident. 10-mile exclusions zones will need to be thought about as well as air, soil and water contamination. What are the chances of one 'event' happening to one of the hundreds of SMRs dotted around the country? SMRs near towns and cities would need to be well protected (in deep concrete bunkers or caves) in case of enemy attack and highly secure.
A single SMR in any one area is of little use as there will be shutdowns and periods of reduced power for maintenance, etc. So they will need to be built in pairs if they supply discrete 24x7 data centres or factories instead of just feeding into the national grid.
The US military are developing micro-reactors for use on the battlefield (Project Pele with BWXT and RR). These will be transported in several parts, combined and switched on to supply electricity to all the power hungry equipment now required by modern military tech (e.g. charge batteries used by large drones, AI computers, laser and rail guns, etc). What could possibly go wrong if these are deployed near active combat zones!
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