Mini nuclear power plants could create 6,000 UK jobs, Rolls-Royce says

small modular reactor design 11112020
small modular reactor design 11112020

A consortium led by Rolls-Royce expects to create 6,000 jobs in the UK in five years if the government backs the creation of 16 small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plants.

A consortium led by Rolls-Royce expects to create 6,000 jobs in the UK in five years if the government backs the creation of 16 mini nuclear power stations.

The small modular reactors (SMR) would help secure the UK’s net zero commitments affordably, revitalise the UK’s regional industrial base and position the UK to secure exports of at least £250 billion.

Up to 80% (by value) of the power station components will be made in factories in the Midlands and North of England, before being transported to existing nuclear sites around the country for rapid assembly inside weatherproof canopies.

As well as a further 34,000 long-term jobs by the mid-2030s, mostly high value manufacturing roles, the power stations will also provide low carbon energy to produce net zero synthetic aviation fuels and hydrogen, supporting the UK Government’s Jet Zero ambition and the wider decarbonisation of transport.

Tom Samson, interim chief executive officer of the UK SMR Consortium, said: “We have developed a manufacturing and assembly process that will make reliable, low carbon nuclear power affordable, deliverable and investable.

“By creating a factory-built power station that rolls off the assembly line we have radically reduced many construction risks associated with new nuclear power stations; and by using proven nuclear technology alongside standardised and simplified components, we make it much more cheaply.

“Our consortium combines decades of nuclear experience and pioneering world-class manufacturing expertise. We represent the strength that UK industry has to offer in our fight against climate change.”

The consortium includes Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Jacobs, Laing O’Rourke, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Rolls-Royce and TWI.

Each compact nuclear power station will provide 440MW of electricity, enough low carbon power for a city of 450,000 homes for 60 years.

The first unit will be operational within 10 years of the first order, with the factories able to produce two units per year thereafter. Doubling or trebling the number of factories would allow more power stations to be made more quickly to meet additional UK and international demand.

With a defined path forward in the UK, the prospects for global exports are enormous and the unique features of UK SMRs make them attractive low cost, deliverable and investable solutions in many countries looking to decarbonize their economies.

Rolls-Royce www.rolls-royce.com

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