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Rolls-Royce SMR

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Rolls-Royce SMR
StatusRegulatory Assessment
Main parameters of the reactor core
Fuel (fissile material)235U
Primary moderatorlight water
Primary coolantlight water
Reactor usage
Operator/ownerRolls-Royce Holdings (76%, November 2023)
Websitewww.rolls-royce-smr.com

The Rolls-Royce SMR, also known as the UK SMR,[1] is a small modular reactor (SMR) design being developed by the Rolls-Royce (RR) company in the United Kingdom.

The company has been given financial support by the UK Government to develop its design. In 2019 it was estimated that the 470 MWe units would cost around £1.8 billion, or £3.3 billion per GW, once in full production. By comparison, the planned 3,200 MWe Sizewell C is projected to cost £35 billion,[2] or £10.3 billion per GW. Construction time and site size needed would also be lower.

History

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RR began design work on the SMR c. 2015 with a team of about 150 people, with decisions made near the start of the project to use light water[a] as both coolant and moderator.[3]

In 2016, it was reported that the UK Government was assessing Welsh SMR sites – including the former Trawsfynydd nuclear power station – and on the site of former nuclear or coal-fired power stations in Northern England. Existing nuclear sites including Bradwell, Hartlepool, Heysham, Oldbury, Sizewell, Sellafield and Wylfa were stated to be possibilities.[4]

In 2017, the consortium headed by RR needed to seek UK government finance to support further development.[3][5][6] In December 2017 The UK government provided funding of up to £56 million over three years to support SMR research and development.[7]

In 2018, the UK SMR industry sought billions of pounds of government support to finance their putative First of a Kind projects. The Expert Finance Working Group on Small Reactors produced a report stating that there was "a current market failure in supporting nuclear projects generally" and identifying options for government to support SMR development in the UK.[8][9]

In 2019, the government committed a further £18 million to the development from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, to begin designing the modular system.[10][11] In November 2021, the UK government provided funding of £210 million to further develop the design, partly matched by £195 million of investment by Rolls-Royce Group, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited.[12][13] At that point they expected the first unit would be completed in the early 2030s.[14]

In 2022, the CEO stated that the Rolls-Royce SMR investment business case was based on selling many hundreds of SMRs by 2050.[15]

On 1 April 2022, the regulatory Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the Rolls-Royce SMR started.[16] The assessment will begin once the timescales and resources have been agreed.[17] The assessment is likely to take about four years, and be complete by 2026.[18][15]

In October 2022, Rolls-Royce announced that it was exploring eight possible sites in the UK to build the first of three expected factories for parts of the SMR.[19] In November 2022, four sites were identified suitable for multiple SMR units: Trawsfynydd, Sellafield, near Wylfa, and near Oldbury.[20]

In March 2023, Rolls-Royce stated that the current programme funding of £500 million will run out by the end of 2024, and requested negotiations with the UK government to find fresh investment. Hiring of new staff was stopped. About 600 staff work on the programme in Derby, Warrington and Manchester.[20][21] At the end of March 2023, the CEO and finance officer of the SMR unit were replaced by the newly appointed CEO of Rolls-Royce.[22]

In July 2023, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said he was launching an international competition to select up to four different SMR technologies "to go through to the final design stage", supported by up to £157 million of finance. He said the final investment decision will be taken by the next parliament, and UK SMRs might start operating by the 2030s.[23]

In November 2023, Rolls-Royce owned 76% of Rolls-Royce SMR Limited, with minority investments by the Perrodo family 11%, Qatar 10% and Constellation Energy 3%.[24]

In April 2024, Rolls-Royce announced it had dropped plans to build a SMR pressure vessel factory, instead buying them from a third party supplier, with Sheffield Forgemasters in the UK being a possible supplier.[25] In 2024, the cost of each SMR was expected to be between £2 billion and £3 billion.[26]

In August 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR stated it was seeking further investment, for a stake in the subsidiary, to finance the company in 2025.[24] In October 2024, the ČEZ Group took a 20% stake in Rolls-Royce SMR at a cost of "several hundred million pounds"; ČEZ plan to deploy up to 3 GWe of SMR generation capacity in the 2030s in the Czech Republic.[27]

In February 2026, the Japanese company Yokogawa Electric was contracted to provide the control systems for the first Rolls-Royce SMRs to be built; they have a UK design facility in Runcorn.[28]

In April 2026, a contract to prepare a site-specific design for three SMRs at Wylfa, including engagement with planning and regulatory bodies, was signed between Rolls-Royce and Great British Energy - Nuclear (representing the British government). This is in preparation for a final investment decision, expected in 2029.[29][30]

Regulatory History

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The Rolls-Royce SMR is going through the United Kingdom's Generic Design Assessment (GDA). The assessment is carried out by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.[31]

Stage Status Date Citation
Entry into GDA Completed April 2022 [31]
Step 1 Completed April 2022 to April 2023 [32]
Step 2 Completed April 2023 to July 2024 [33]
Step 3 Ongoing Started July 2024 [32]
Regulatory justification Approved March 2026 [34]

Design

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External image
image icon Cross section of Rolls-Royce SMR (CGI render)

RR is preparing a small modular reactor (SMR) design called the UK SMR, a close-coupled three-loop pressurised water reactor (PWR) design.[35] Power output was initially designed to be 440 MWe, and subsequently increased to 470 MWe which is above the usual range considered to be a SMR.[3][36][35] It should be able to power a city the size of Sheffield.[10] The planning documents for the projects (by Rolls-Royce SMR co-owner ČEZ) for Temelín[37] and Tušimice[38] assume an output of 498 MWe.

Design approach

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Rolls-Royce SMR is based on proven PWR technology and is designed to reduce cost and delivery risk through modular construction, standardisation, factory assembly and repeatable build methods. The design also uses existing nuclear components where possible.[39][40]

Design Features

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The SMR has a relatively large power output which has been maximised by specifying the largest components transportable by road.[41]

A modular forced draft cooling tower will be used.[35]

The intended fuel is uranium dioxide (UO2).[42] The fuel assembly design is a shortened version of on an existing Westinghouse 17×17 PWR fuel assembly and changed to have instrumentation fitted from above.[43]

Novel Design Features

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The design targets a 500-day construction time, on a 10 acres (4 ha) site.[42][44] Overall build time is expected to be four years, two years for site preparation and two years for construction and commissioning.[45]

Unlike typical PWRs, the Rolls-Royce SMR is designed not to use soluble boron during normal operations, but as a backup safety measure boron may be injected in emergencies if the reactor does not shut down as intended. This has the added benefit of reducing tritium production[46][47]

Potassium hydroxide is used as a pH raiser instead of lithium hydroxide typically used in PWRs, to reduce tritium production.[48]

The seismic isolation bearings allow for ground movements and seismic events. They also have been designed to provide a standard interface between the site-specific foundations below and the standardised plant architecture above, enabling the standard design to be repeated across sites with different ground conditions.[49][50]

The Rolls-Royce SMR is designed to have a compact foot-print so that it can be assembled on site inside a weatherproof canopy. According to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre this should reduce cost and project risk by avoiding weather disruption.[51]

Cost

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In 2020, the original target cost for a 470 MWe Rolls-Royce SMR unit was £1.8 billion for the fifth unit built,[52] or around £3.8 million per MWe. As a comparison the estimated cost for the full-size 3.3 GWe Sizewell C nuclear power station was £22 billion, or around £6.7 million per MWe.[10] In 2024, the SMR cost was expected to be between £2 billion and £3 billion.[26]

Sites

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Selected site

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  • Wylfa, Anglesey, Wales – In November 2025, the UK government announced that Wylfa had been chosen for Great British Energy–Nuclear's first SMR project. The first project is for up to three Rolls-Royce SMR units. The site has also been assessed as having potential for up to eight units. In April 2026, Great British Energy – Nuclear and Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract allowing site-specific design, regulatory engagement and planning work to begin, ahead of a final investment decision.[53][54]

Site at early works stage

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  • Temelín, South Bohemia, Czech Republic – In April 2026, ČEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR signed an early works contract for a Rolls-Royce SMR project at the existing Temelín nuclear power plant site. This includes site-specific design and preparation for consents, permitting and licensing. This is a preparatory stage and is not the same as final approval for construction.[55][56]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ The term light water is used to specifically distinguish from heavy water in the context of a nuclear reactor

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Yurman 2019.
  2. ^ Earl, Nicholas (18 February 2023). "EDF: Inflation drives Hinkley Point C nuclear plant costs from £26bn to £33bn". City A.M. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c WNN 2017a.
  4. ^ McCann 2016.
  5. ^ WNN 2017b.
  6. ^ Hollinger & Pfeifer 2018.
  7. ^ NEI 2017.
  8. ^ Vaughan 2018.
  9. ^ DBEIS 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Rowlatt 2020.
  11. ^ WNN 2019a.
  12. ^ BBC 2021a.
  13. ^ DBEIS 2021.
  14. ^ WNN 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Corrected oral evidence: UK energy supply and investment". Economic Affairs Committee (Lords). UK Parliament. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2023. Tom Samson: We anticipate selling many hundreds of these units between now and 2050. That is a business case upon which we have attracted the capital today and those investors who came to the table in November last year have done their analysis. We have done market studies and research, and with that cost competitiveness there is a huge demand for this technology. That is the premise on which we are building the business.
  16. ^ "Rolls-Royce SMR begins UK Generic Design Assessment". Nuclear Engineering International. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Current reactors being assessed". Office for Nuclear Regulation. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  18. ^ "New nuclear power stations: assessing reactor designs". Environment Agency. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023 – via gov.uk.
  19. ^ "Two sites added to Rolls-Royce SMR's UK factory shortlist : Corporate – World Nuclear News". world-nuclear-news.org. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Rolls-Royce SMR faces financial problems". Nuclear Engineering International. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  21. ^ Mustoe, Howard; Ping, Szu Chan (10 March 2023). "Rolls-Royce mini-nukes project at risk". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  22. ^ Mustoe, Howard (31 March 2023). "Rolls-Royce mini-nukes head ousted as new boss overhauls top team". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  23. ^ Parker, George; Pickard, Jim; Millard, Rachel (18 July 2023). "Rolls-Royce in a 'good position' to develop small nuclear power plants". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  24. ^ a b Oliver, Matt (3 August 2024). "Rolls-Royce to sell stake in mini-nukes arm". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  25. ^ Oliver, Matt (27 April 2024). "Rolls-Royce scales back plans to build nuclear factories in UK". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b Oliver, Matt (9 October 2024). "Rolls-Royce suffers £78m loss on mini-nukes amid UK rollout delays". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  27. ^ "ČEZ takes Rolls-Royce SMR stake, plans to deploy 3GW fleet". World Nuclear News. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  28. ^ "Yokogawa to supply Rolls-Royce SMR control systems". World Nuclear News. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  29. ^ Williams, Ieuan (13 April 2026). "Great British Energy – Nuclear signs a contract with Rolls‑Royce SMR to deliver the UK's first SMRs" (Press release). Great British Energy - Nuclear. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  30. ^ Edwards, Oscar (13 April 2026). "Wylfa power station can begin that promises 8,000 new jobs". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  31. ^ a b "GDA Step 2 of the Rolls-Royce SMR: fundamental assessment public summary". GOV.UK. Environment Agency, Office for Nuclear Regulation and Natural Resources Wales. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  32. ^ a b "Rolls-Royce SMR". Office for Nuclear Regulation. Office for Nuclear Regulation. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  33. ^ "GDA Step 2 of the Rolls-Royce SMR: fundamental assessment full report". GOV.UK. Environment Agency, Office for Nuclear Regulation and Natural Resources Wales. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  34. ^ "Nuclear justification approved for Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor". GOV.UK. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  35. ^ a b c Macfarlane-Smith 2021.
  36. ^ Rolls-Royce 2017b.
  37. ^ NEW NUCLEAR SOURCE OF SMR AT THE TEMELÍN SITE NOTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT, P. 40
  38. ^ NEUES SMR KERNKRAFTWERK AM STANDORT TUŠIMICE BEKANNTMACHUNG EINES VORHABENS, German, P. 36
  39. ^ "Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards Case Version 3, Tier 1, Chapter 24: ALARP Summary" (PDF). Rolls-Royce SMR Generic Design Assessment. Rolls-Royce SMR. August 2025. SMR0004487 Revision 4. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  40. ^ Rolls-Royce SMR Design Overview White Paper (PDF) (Report). Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd. 31 July 2025. pp. 5, 7. TS-GEN-11 – via Nuclear Regulatory Commission. At its heart, the RR SMR utilizes proven PWR technology with an established track record... [the] manufacturing strategy incorporates standardized components.
  41. ^ Rolls-Royce SMR Design Overview White Paper (PDF) (Report). Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd. 31 July 2025. p. 8. TS-GEN-11 – via Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It represents the maximum power achievable while remaining within road transport limits combining economic and logistical efficiencies of standardized, scalable production.
  42. ^ a b Rolls-Royce 2017a.
  43. ^ "Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards Case Version 2, Tier 1, Chapter 4: Reactor (Fuel and Core)" (PDF). Rolls-Royce SMR Generic Design Assessment. Rolls-Royce SMR. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  44. ^ Paige 2020.
  45. ^ IAEA 2019.
  46. ^ "Chemical discharges from nuclear power stations: historical releases and implications for Best Available Techniques" (PDF). Environment Agency. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  47. ^ "Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards Case Version 2, Tier 1, Chapter 6: Engineered Safety Features" (PDF). Rolls-Royce SMR Generic Design Assessment. Rolls-Royce SMR. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  48. ^ "Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards Case Version 3, Tier 1, Chapter 24: ALARP Summary" (PDF). Rolls-Royce SMR Generic Design Assessment. Rolls-Royce SMR. SMR0004487 Revision 4. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  49. ^ "Rolls-Royce SMR Signs Contract with Skanska UK to Deliver Aseismic Bearing Pedestal Demonstrator". Rolls-Royce SMR. Rolls-Royce SMR. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  50. ^ "Environment, Safety, Security and Safeguards Case Version 3, Tier 1, Chapter 9B: Civil Engineering Works and Structures" (PDF). Rolls-Royce SMR Generic Design Assessment. Rolls-Royce SMR. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  51. ^ "Nuclear AMRC to support next phase of Rolls-Royce SMR development". University of Sheffield. University of Sheffield. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  52. ^ WNN 2019b.
  53. ^ "Small Modular Reactor Programme and Site Allocation". UK Parliament. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  54. ^ "Great British Energy – Nuclear and Rolls-Royce SMR sign contract". GOV.UK. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 13 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  55. ^ "Rolls-Royce SMR secures Czech contract to deliver Small Modular Reactor Programme". Rolls-Royce SMR. Rolls-Royce SMR. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  56. ^ "Czech power company ČEZ signs deal with Rolls-Royce SMR to prepare for first small nuclear reactor". Associated Press. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

Sources

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