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Rolls-Royce SMR wins GBE-N bid
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected as the preferred bidder to partner with Great British Energy – Nuclear (formerly Great British Nuclear – GBN) to develop small modular reactors (SMRs), subject to final government approvals and contract signature. Rolls-Royce SMR will now enter a strategic technology development partnership with Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBE-N), a fully publicly-owned company. The selection follows a rigorous procurement
process that began in July 2023 when companies were invited to register their interest with GBN to participate in a competition to secure funding to support development of their SMRs. Commenting, Simon Bowen, Chairman of
GBEN, said: “By selecting a preferred bidder, we are taking a decisive step toward delivering clean, secure, and sovereign power. This is about more than energy, it’s about revitalising British industry, creating thousands of skilled jobs, and building a platform for long-term economic growth.” In October 2023, the UK Department for
Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and GBN selected six companies to advance to next phase of the SMR competition. The companies were EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International, Holtec Britain, US-based NuScale Power, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Company UK. The six technologies selected all depended to
a large extent on traditional nuclear technology. They included the 470 MWe Rolls-Royce SMR, GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300, EDF’s 340 MWe Nuward, NuScale’s 77 MWe VOYGR, Westinghouse’s AP300, and Holtec’s SMR-160. GBN said it would select one or two of the technologies for support to deploy multiple units at a selected site. GBN owns land for potential new nuclear at Wylfa in Anglesey in North Wales, and at Oldbury in Gloucestershire in southwest England, but other sites could also be chosen. In September 2024, GBN has concluded the initial tender phase of selection process naming the down-selected companies as GE- Hitachi, Holtec Britain, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse. EDF had withdrawn Nuward SMR design in July 2024 after EDF decided to focus on existing technologies and in October 2024, NuScale, which was facing financial problems was dropped from the list of finalists. In February, the four remaining finalists received and Invitation to Submit Final Tender (ISFT). Westinghouse failed to do so. Announcing the selection of Rolls Royce,
DESNZ noted that GBN had taken on a new name, Great British Energy – Nuclear, “reflecting its joint mission with Great British Energy to rollout clean homegrown power as two publicly- owned energy companies”. It added that the
government is pledging over £2.5bn ($3.4bn) for the overall SMR in this Spending Review. GBE-N “is aiming to sign contracts with Rolls-Royce SMR later this year and will form a development company”. It “will also aim to allocate a site later this year and connect projects to the grid in the mid-2030s”. The Rolls-Royce SMR is a 470 MWe small
pressurised water reactor with an operating life of at least 60 years. The majority of the reactor will be factory built with pre-fabricated, pre- tested, modules assembled on site. The design is progressing through the final stage of the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process - the only SMR design to have reached that stage. Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Chris Cholerton, said:
“As well as delivering affordable, clean energy to support our nation’s energy independence – deploying three of our units will drive domestic growth by creating thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs and supply chain opportunities. We are the only SMR company with multiple commitments to build projects in Europe, testament to our differentiated design and compelling offer”. Rolls-Royce SMR has already been selected
by Czech utility, ČEZ, to deliver up to 3 GWe in the Czech Republic. “Further success at home will support success in a range of international markets - including potentially in Sweden, where Rolls-Royce SMR is in the final two SMRs in their technology selection process,” the company noted. A Holtec spokesperson said Holtec was
disappointed by the outcome of the GBN tender “but extends its congratulations to Rolls-Royce SMR”. The official added: “This decision by GBN means that Holtec’s plans for a significant manufacturing facility in South Yorkshire will now be scaled back in size and delayed in terms of timeframe.” Less than two weeks before, Holtec had
selected the Gateway East site next to Doncaster-Sheffield Airport, as the preferred location for a planned £1.5bn UK factory which promises thousands in Doncaster. “Despite the outcome from this competition,
Holtec remains resolute in its belief that Holtec’s SMR-300 is among the most advanced, safe, and deployable reactor designs in the world,” the spokesperson noted. “Our participation in the tender has further reinforced the global interest in our technology, and we are grateful for the opportunity to showcase our capabilities. Looking ahead, Holtec is intensifying its focus on partnerships with private-sector clients in the United Kingdom that can move at pace and international stakeholders who are seeking proven, scalable SMR solutions.” ■
round up
DIGITAL & SOFTWARE US POWER UTILITY Constellation (formerly Exelon Generation) and information technology company Meta have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the output of the Clinton Clean Energy Centre to support Meta’s energy goals and operations in the region.
POLICY
THE WORLD BANK’S board has agreed to end a longstanding ban on funding nuclear energy projects in developing countries as part of a broader push to meet rising electricity needs, according to World Bank President Ajay Banga. The Bank officially stopped funding nuclear power projects in 2013.
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) is not going to propose measures to limit the European Union’s (EU’s) reliance on Russian nuclear fuel but proposals to ban Russian gas will go ahead, according to EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen. The EC is expected to propose legal measures to end Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.
A STRATEGIC CONTRACT for the French nuclear industry has been signed in Paris by all institutional and industrial actors in the sector under the egis of the Strategic Committee for the Nuclear Sector (CSFN) as guarantor of its implementation. CSFN said it is motivated by a threefold challenge: energy and industrial sovereignty; European competitiveness; and low carbon energy transition.
THE US DEPARTMENT of Energy (DOE) has awarded Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) vouchers to three companies in the second round of GAIN vouchers awarded for fiscal year 2025. The first round was awarded in January. The vouchers provide companies access to extensive research facilities and expertise across DOE’s national laboratory complex to advance promising projects that can provide more reliable, secure, and affordable nuclear energy.
SAFETY & SECURITY THE TOKYO HIGH Court has overturned a lower court ruling dismissing a claim by plaintiffs that former Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) executives should pay damages to the utility over the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP. The plaintiffs had filed the lawsuit against five people in top managerial posts at the company arguing that the accident occurred because of poor safety measures at the plant.
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