Rolls-Royce seeks to lease disused nuclear sites in Wales and Cumbria to deploy its mini reactors
Rolls-Royce is seeking to enter negotiations with the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), to lease disused nuclear sites from the public body, as it pushes forwards with plans to deploy a fleet of mini nuclear reactors across various sites in Wales and the North of England.
The British engineering company plans to lease sites from the NDA to deploy a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs), after a Rolls-Royce led consortium secured a £210m investment from the government to begin building SMRs.
Speaking to City PM a Rolls-Royce spokesperson said the firm is looking at a “range of sites” across the UK, including sites in North Wales and West Cumbria that are “within the NDA estate.”
The NDA owns 17 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, including the Drigg nuclear waste storage facility in West Cumbria, the decommissioned Wylfa power plant in Anglesey, and the Trawsfynydd power plant in Snowdonia National Park.
“We are focusing our attention on sites that are part of established nuclear communities and where we can find the right skills, expertise and infrastructure, and move at pace to deliver our SMR programme,” the Rolls-Royce spokesperson said.
The comments come after David Peattie, chief executive of the NDA, told a public accounts committee the non-departmental body is seeking permission from the government to open talks with Rolls-Royce, over plans to lease its sites to the firm for the deployment of SMRs.
An NDA spokesperson said: “Safely decommissioning our sites and freeing up the land for future use is our focus. We welcome engagement with stakeholders who may want to talk to us about the potential future use of our land.”
The plan comes after Boris Johnson said the UK government would invest £525m into developing the next generation of nuclear reactors as part of its 10-point plan for a “Green Industrial Revolution.”
According to Rolls-Royce, each of its mini reactors will generate enough electricity to power up to one million homes. The 115-year-old firm claims that its SMR business will create 40,000 jobs across the UK by 2050, in line with the country’s plans to reach net zero by the same year.
A spokesperson for the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) said: “Small Modular Reactors offer exciting opportunities to cut costs and build more quickly, ensuring we can bring clean electricity to people’s homes and reduce our exposure to volatile gas prices.”
“In working with Rolls Royce, not only can we maximise British content, create new intellectual property and reinvigorate supply chains, but also position our country as a global leader in innovative nuclear technologies we can potentially export elsewhere.”