Rolls-Royce teams up for advanced modular nuclear reactors to power 3 million homes
Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Czech firm Škoda JS to explore the production of components for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program.
The agreement supports a plan to potentially install up to 3 GW of nuclear capacity, using the Rolls-Royce 470 MWe reactor design.
“Each Rolls-Royce SMR will generate 470 megawatts of low carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines,” said the company.
“The Rolls-Royce SMR will be the first new nuclear power station to be designed and built in the UK for more than a generation and offers a radically different approach based on proven technology,” said Rolls-Royce in a press release.
Expanding the supply chain
This cooperation is integral to the reactor’s manufacturing process, which specifies that 90% of each SMR unit will be built in factory conditions before being transported for final assembly.
Rolls-Royce’s SMRs are designed to be built in a factory. Unlike traditional nuclear power plants, which are constructed entirely on-site, this modular approach aims to simplify and accelerate construction while reducing costs and avoiding the lengthy delays that have plagued other projects, such as Hinkley Point C. This method necessitates a robust and geographically diverse supply chain.
In parallel with its Czech outreach, Rolls-Royce SMR has established other supply agreements. A multi-million-pound partnership was secured with the UK-based nuclear business of Curtiss-Wright.
The company will design and supply the Non-programmable Diverse Reactor Protection Systems. These safety-critical backup instruments, known as Non-programmable Diverse Reactor Protection Systems, are designed to independently shut down a reactor.
They are simple, robust, and use reliable, pre-existing electronic technology instead of microprocessors or other programmable devices. A separate contract has also been signed with another Czech entity, ÚJV Řež, for the analysis and testing of SMR components.
“We are delighted to begin this important and enduring partnership with Curtiss-Wright. Securing industry leading expertise will further de-risk our programme by underpinning a critical element of the design,” said Ruth Todd, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Operations & Supply Chain Director.
SMR technology for UK’s energy future
The Rolls-Royce SMR is a pressurised water reactor with a projected operational life of at least 60 years. The modules measure approximately 16 metres by 4 metres.
“Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will produce enough stable, affordable and emission-free energy to power a million homes for at least 60 years – more than any other SMR,” highlighted Rolls-Royce.
A few months back, Rolls-Royce SMR were chosen to build the United Kingdom’s first fleet of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The project is intended to generate 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, as per the government. The SMRs are expected to produce enough electricity to power around 3 million homes.
“Rolls-Royce SMR is up to eighteen months ahead of competitors in any European regulatory process and, with this first mover advantage, is in pole position to become a world leader in SMR technology and the UK’s premier green export technology,” concluded Rolls-Royce.