The UK SMR consortium, led by Rolls-Royce, has announced plans for a fleet of 16 small modular reactor (SMR) power stations to be built over the next 20 years.

The power stations could 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 £250bn.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 CEO of the UK SMR Consortium, said: “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.”

Each compact nuclear power station will provide 440MW of electricity. 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.

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

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