The UK’s first three SMRs, located in North Wales and owned by Rolls Royce, will be powered by steam turbine components being manufactured in Newcastle by Siemens Energy – a new pathway for UK and European engineering to power SMRs.
The components include high-pressure turbines and valve casings. According to Rolls Royce, the announcement is expected to support more than 550 jobs and create new opportunities in Newcastle. The facility is also intended to become the service hub for Siemens Energy’s key components across the Rolls-Royce SMR UK fleet.
This is part of a much broader push by Rolls-Royce to build its reactors using a factory-based, modular manufacturing model, rather than constructing conventional nuclear plants largely on site.
Rolls-Royce says the UK supply chain is able to contribute more than 70% of each SMR by value, while placing a focus on standardised, commercially available and off the shelf components. The company says they aim to move away from the high cost and high-risk complex construction programme principles into predictable factory-built commodities.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said:
“This is what our golden age of nuclear looks like in practice: skilled jobs in Newcastle, stronger British manufacturing and a more secure energy future.
“Producing these components here in the UK will help strengthen our energy security, reduce our exposure to volatile international gas markets, create new export opportunities for British industry, and reindustrialise the UK.”
